Edo State Chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) on Friday called on the National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in charge of South-South zone, Lecky Mustapha to excuse himself from the conduct of the September 19 Edo State Governorship election.
The State Publicity Secretary of the party, Chris Nehikhare made the call at a press conference in Benin City.
Nehikhare said the call became necessary as a result of the INEC National Commissioner’s conspiracy with the All Progressives Congress (APC), the former National Chairman of APC, Adams Oshiomhole and the party’s governorship candidate, Osagie Ize-Iyamu to rig the election.
He alleged that the INEC commissioner influenced the final list released for training of ad-hoc staff thereby skewing the electoral process to ensure it favours the main opposition party in the election.
He also alleged that out of the 18 collation officers, 11 are APC while the remaining seven are shared among other political parties.
“We are constrained to bring to the notice of Edo people, Nigerians and all lovers of democracy, steps being taken by an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) National Commissioner, Dr. Mustapha Lecky, who is acting the script of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Mr. Osagie Ize-Iyamu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, towards subverting the will of the Edo electorate in the September 19, 2020 governorship election.
“Dr. Lecky, working with Oshiomhole and the candidate of the APC, Osagie Ize-Iyamu, is disrupting the process for the engagement of the various Ad-hoc staff to be used by INEC in the polls.
“The time-honoured tradition which mandates that all political parties involved in the electioneering process submit names of persons to be used as ad-hoc staff is being abused by Dr. Lecky and his collaborators in the APC.
“Lecky, it has been gathered, has skewed the process to ensure it favours one party, whereby the final list released for training of the adhoc staff has a ratio of 10:1, between the APC and all other parties”,he alleged.
He further alleged that the polling officers who are supposed to be serving National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) members have been changed for party faithful by Oshiomhole and Ize-Iyamu.
He also alleged that the Supervisory Polling Officers are also being engaged by the INEC national commissioner, Lecky to serve the interest of the APC.
“For the Collation Officers (CO), Dr. Lecky has been influencing the engagement of persons, with personal ties with Oshiomhole and Ize-Iyamu, to rig the election in favour of the APC during the polls and undermine the electoral process.
“Dr. Lecky, we have gathered, is working within the INEC to get its officials to cheat the system”,he alleged.
While noting that the party has absolute confidence on the integrity of the commission, he however, called on Mustapha Lecky and his like to excuse themselves from the election process as their activities have been revealed to be threatening the integrity of the process, which will taint the outcome of the election.
When contacted, Mustapha Lecky described the allegation as ridiculous and a figment of PDP’s imagination.
Lecky who said, he is not a card-carrying member of any political party added that he is not involved in anyway whatsoever in the selection and recruitment of ad-hoc staff.
“I am not a card carrying member of any political party. I am not involved in anyway whatsoever remotely or indirectly in the selection or recruitment of INEC ad-hoc staff.
“Recruitment is not part of my beat even within the INEC. The allegation is preposterous , lies and just a concoction and figments of their imagination. Brazen tissues of lies”,he added.
