By  GABRIEL ENOGHOLASE

BENIN – EDO State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has denied the allegation by its Action Congress of  Nigeria, ACN, counterpart, that it had perfected plans to manipulate and mutilate the voters’ register with  a view to rigging the July, 14 2012 governorship election in the state.

The party also denied any meeting between Chief Tony Anenih, former Chairman of  PDP Board of Trustees and Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, anywhere in the country to discuss issues relating to the forthcoming election.

State chairman of  PDP, Chief Dan Orbih, who addressed journalists in Benin, yesterday, on the allegation, said Chief Anenih had never met with Prof. Jega since he was appointed  Chairman of INEC, adding that the accusation against the national PDP leader was not true.

Orbih also denied the accusation that PDP was preparing to recruit people from neigbouring states as thugs to assist it in rigging the election, saying that the party had no such intention.

He said that the allegation by ACN was an attempt to avoid facing PDP in the governorship election and called on the ACN governorship candidate, to formally withdraw from the election in favour of its candidate, Gen. Charles Airhiavbere.

He also called on political parties taking part in the election to ensure that their agents were present in all registration centres during the registration of voters, who have attained the age of 18 with a view to identifying strangers and reporting same to law enforcement agents for action.

He said that the PDP was well prepared for the election and promised that the party would ensure that any stranger brought in to rig the election was dealt with.