How ACN plans to rig in S’West — PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party has raised the alarm that the Action Congress of Nigeria is planning to rig elections in the South-West.

The PDP, in a statement by a member of the PDP Integrity Vanguard, Mr. Adamu Gwazuwang, accused some leaders of ACN of planning to rig polls by replicating the voter register through the active connivance with some unnamed officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission.

It said the ACN was already compiling what it called a special voter’s register to be used during the election, where the names of PDP supporters would be expunged from the main voter’s register.

But in a swift reaction, the ACN said it was the PDP that was actually exposing its plan to make sure that the people’s votes did not count.


It, however, promised to make sure that the plan of the ruling party did not achieve “this diabolical action.”

The statement said, “The ACN and its leaders have embarked on plans to unleash the most brazen and unprecedented subversion of the electoral process since Nigerian’s independence during the April polls.

“Details emerging show that the ACN in all western states has replicated INEC’s voters register at all the polling stations of the region.

“It is now a known fact that this was made possible through connivance with yet to be identified officials who gave cover to the ACN agents.

“The register now compiled by the ACN, according to the plan, will be edited to expunge the names of PDP members and others not likely to vote for the ACN.

“The plan has been so thoroughly worked out that it may even be impossible to suspect that the ACN compiled registered voters list in the event that INEC officials are conveniently late or absent at polling stations on election dates.

“To forestall this rigging plan, the PDP Integrity Vanguard appealed to Nigerians to impress it on INEC to ensure its voter’s registers have security marks and indelible imprints that will make forgery impossible.”

The PDP added, “A subtle and surreptitious enlightenment of the subversive plans have been going on in all the states of the west since the end of INEC’s registration of voters two months ago.

“We call on the ACN to desist forthwith with all plans to carry out this nefarious and dastardly plan.

“Nothing can be more inspiring than the assurances President Goodluck Jonathan has consistently stated that the April elections will be free, fair and credible.

The PDP group reminded Nigerians that President Goodluck Jonathan has said that no one should rig for him and that every vote should count.

Speaking in a telephone interview with our correspondent, however, the National Publicity Secretary of the ACN, Alhaji Lai Mohammed said only the PDP was known for such action, but said the ACN would make sure that Nigerians did not allow them to carry out such action.

He asked how the ACN would have access to INEC officials, who he said were appointed by the PDP.

Mohammed said, “That is their job. That is what the PDP stands for – rigging of elections. Who appointed INEC officials? Who deployed them to states? Who will then have access to such officials?

“But tell them that we are ready for them; Nigerians are also ready for them.

“Whatever evil they are planning to do would be resisted by Nigerians irrespective of the zone they are.

“The PDP is already afraid that its evil deeds are being monitored and that we are going to deal with them at the polls. We will defeat them because the people are with us. The PDP is a crude party. The members are afraid of the people.”

In another development, the Jonathan/Sambo Campaign organisation has commended the people of the North-West for their tremendous support when the campaign train visited the zone.