AC loses confidence in voters’ registration
The Action Congress (AC) said it had lost confidence in the ongoing voters’ registration exercise, following the discovery of eight Direct Data Machines in the private residences of PDP officials in Ogbomoso and Ibadan within a week.
In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Muhammad, in Abuja yesterday, the party said only a thorough investigation by the police to find out the extent to which the ruling party officials have hijacked the machines for illegal registration and the full prosecution of those implicated in the fraud could restore its confidence in the exercise.
AC warned that Nigerians would resist any move by PDP officials, INEC or the police to sweep under the carpet the discovery of the registration fraud, which has now called into question the integrity of the forthcoming elections.
The party said it was particularly miffed that the suspected kingpins of the fraud, identified in newspaper reports as Saka Balogun and Lamidi Adedibu, were yet to be arrested by the authorities.
“We can only imagine what would have happened if those who took the machines home were members of the opposition,” it said.
AC said the discovery of the machines and the illegal registration of hundreds of voters had heightened its fears that the PDP, which had not done anything in the past 7-1/2 years to raise the standard of living of Nigerians, could resort to massive rigging out of desperation to stay in power.
It said the discovery had also gone a long way to put into perspective the persistent boast of some loquacious PDP officials to “capture” certain states at all cost during the elections, even when they could see the widespread disenchantment of Nigerians with their failed party.
“We note the vow made by INEC chairman Maurice Iwu, INEC Resident Commissioner in Oyo, Isyaku Maigoro and Police Inspector-General Sunday Ehindero that those who perpetrated the fraud in Oyo would not escape justice, no matter who they are,” AC said.
“But we regret to say that nothing has happened – since the discoveries were made – to give us any assurance that the fraudsters would not go unpunished or that the fraud would not be repeated in other states,” the party said