By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA – In the aftermath of reports by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC that 63 of its Smart Card Readers were stolen during the February 23 Presidential and National Assembly elections in Bayelsa state, a national officer of the All Progressives Congress APC, Yekini Nabena has asked relevant agencies to hold Governor Seriake Dickson and the People Democratic Party PDP leaders in the state responsible for the theft.

Nabena, who is the Deputy National Publicity Secretary of APC, also alleged that PDP leaders were planning to use the card readers to rig the Saturday’s State House of Assembly election in the state in favour of their candidates.

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According to INEC, the affected Local Government Areas where the card readers were stolen from include Brass, Sagbama, Southern-Ijaw, Nembe and Yenagoa.

Speaking with journalists Thursday in Abuja, Nabena tasked the leadership of INEC and security agents to ensure that all the stolen Card Readers were recovered before the Saturday election.

Nabena said; “The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC must be mindful of the desperate plan by the Governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson and the PDP to use the stolen card readers to rig the State House of Assembly elections in Bayelsa state.

“INEC and security agencies must ensure that all 63 stolen card readers are recovered before Saturday. In the meantime, INEC should urgently embark on the reconfiguration of its card readers deployed for the Bayelsa State Assembly elections, following reports of attempts by PDP leaders in the state to hack the card readers.

“The stolen card readers is among a list of strategies the rejected PDP government in Bayelsa state plan to deploy to rig Saturday’s elections. I had earlier alerted of Governor Dickson’s arms buildup and the illegal activities of the state security outfit, Operation Doo Akpo which is being used by the governor and other PDP chieftains to aid rigging of elections in the state”, Nabena added.