….it’s a lie from pit of hell – APC

By Dayo Johnson, Akure 

Ahead of the 2023 election, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the Southern  Senatorial District area of Ondo State, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of software theft of voter’s cards in the district, in order to manipulate the coming elections.

Director of Media and Publicity of the party in the zone, Allen Sowore, asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the state chapter of the party to be vigilant and be aware of the clandestine move by the ruling party to manipulate the next year’s general elections in the zone.

However, in a swift reaction, the State Director of Media and Publicity of the APC, Steve Otaloro described the allegation as a “lie from the pit of hell.

Otaloro said that “there is no way the election can be manipulated with the use of technology to be deployed by INEC for the elections.

According to him ” the use of BVAS for the conduct of elections has made  it practically impossible to manipulate election as the power to elect or reject candidates now lie with the electorate.

But, Sowore, in a statement titled “Fraud  alert: Software theft of voters’ cards In Ondo South” asked the security agencies to check alleged move to collect voters data in order to steal their identities in the electorate

He said that “This is to officially call the attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigeria Police Force and most importantly, the general public to  the ongoing illegal, clandestine and cunning collection of personal data of voters’ cards of the electorates across the six local government areas of  Ondo South Senatorial District.

” This is done through the issuance of a purported “Social Welfare Card” christened card Àseyori’ by the members of the ruling All Progressives Congress,  (APC) and its Senatorial candidate, Dr Jimoh Ibrahim. 

“The  card specifically demands the applicant’s name, address, local government , voter’s number, ward and unit The implications of this is that the unsuspecting applicants would willingly surrendered the same data and information already supplied to INEC to the APC for easy access and possible software theft of their Voters’ Cards. 

“This  public alert becomes imperative because under the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), only the Federal Government through its agencies is  vested with such power to collect vital personal citizens’ identities and information. 

” Ultimately,  this is  tantamount to surreptitious  software theft of data on voters’ cards by the ruling party in Ondo state to prepare the ground for scientific rigging of the 2023 General Elections. 

“It therefore behoves the PeoplesDirector of Media and Publicity of the APC, Steve Otaloro Democratic Party ( PDP) as a critical stakeholder in the forthcoming election to urge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Nigeria Police Force, the State Security Services and other security agencies to nib this ugly situation in the bud  by  putting a halt to this illegality immediately, and bring the perpetrators  to justice.”

Reacting further, the state Director of Media and Publicity of the ruling party, Steve Otaloro, accused the opposition of raising false allegation.

Otaloro, asked the electoral umpire to ignore the opposition party as it was already jittery of its impending failure in the coming election in the zone. End