PDP accuses INEC of plotting to hide election evidence with BVAS configuration

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is attempting to hide evidence in the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) with its request for a court order.

The commission had on Monday urged the Court of Appeal, Abuja, to vary the orders granted to the PDP and Labour Party to inspect materials used for the last month’s presidential election.

INEC in a motion on notice said it needed to reconfigure the BVAS for this weekend’s governorship and house of assembly elections.

The PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, who addressed journalists at a media briefing on Tuesday night in Abuja, insisted that the court ruling would prevent its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, from collecting materials for its appeal at the presidential election tribunal.

He said INEC’s actions were despicable and intended to thwart Nigerians’ efforts to seek redress in court.

Ologunagba said: “Late on Monday at 10:10 PM, INEC filed a motion requesting that it be allowed to reconfigure the BVAS machines and wipe off relevant information that our party and candidate require to prosecute our case at the presidential election tribunal.

READ ALSO: BVAS: Appeal Court to rule on INEC’s application Wednesday

“The move is a clear recipe for crisis and a deliberate design by the commission to derail our democracy and trigger anarchy in the country.

“Instead of being guided by the law, the INEC chairman brazenly announced and declared results that were not transmitted directly from the Polling Units to INEC’s server/website while ignoring the objections and complaints raised during the collation in complete disregard to the provisions of the Electoral Act.

“Despite the provocative act of the INEC chairman, the PDP, as a law-abiding party, approached the court and obtained an order directing INEC to, among other things, grant our party and candidate unrestrained access to carry out a forensic examination of the ballot papers, data forms, BVAS/and or card readers and all other necessary information, material, and evidence to get redress for Nigerians at the Election Tribunal.

“Apparently panicked by the order, INEC rushed to court to file a motion requesting the court to allow it reconfigure the BVAS devices with the view to erasing the information contained therein.”

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