Ekiti poll: Again, Fayose accuses APC, INEC of conniving to rig election, calls for help from international community

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- Governor Ayo Fayose has alleged that the APC and INEC are perfecting plans to rig the upcoming Ekiti governorship election

- He accused the party of distributing what he referred to as ‘fake empowerment forms’ in order to lure the unsuspecting electorate

- The governor alleged that the APC in collaboration with INEC are planning to heavily pre-load Smart Card Readers and also release ballot papers to their members for ballot stuffing

- Fayose appealed to the international community to ensure that the election is free, fair and credible

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has been accused of perfecting an alleged plot to rig the July 14 Ekiti governorship election in cahoots with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), by the state governor, Ayodele Fayose.

Fayose made the allegation in a chat with reporters in his office, late Tuesday night, May 30, The Nation reports.

NAIJ.com gathers that the governor claimed that the APC and INEC had allegedly struck a deal to disenfranchise 50% of the Ekiti electorate by “heavily pre-loading the smart card readers.”

According to Fayose, thousands of voters would be disenfranchised in Ikere-Ekiti, the hometown of the Peoples Demoratic Party (PDP)’s candidate, Prof Kolapo Olusola and Ado-Ekiti, the hometown of his running mate, Ayodeji Ogunsakin.

In order to lure voters, the governor further alleged that the APC has been distributing what he referred to as ‘fake empowerment forms’.

He stated: “It has come to our attention that the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti state has devised another sinister plot to disenfranchise thousands of eligible voters in areas considered as strongholds of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); particular where the PDP standard bearer comes from, which is Ikere-Ekiti.

“The APC is working in collaboration with some unscrupulous elements in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to delete not less than 40 per cent of names from the Voter Register, using the Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) as a decoy; and targeting Ado Ekiti, the state capital and Ikere Ekiti where the PDP candidate comes from.

“The APC did not stop at this; they are currently distributing fake empowerment forms and cash to the unsuspecting electorate, using a phony organisation, with the aim of deactivating Voters Cards, thereby disenfranchising thousands of voters.

“They are also putting pressure on INEC to use Incident Forms as alternative to the Smart Card Readers, so as to be able rig the July 14 election.

“It should be noted that the Incident Forms, being contemplated for Ekiti were not used during the Anambra election. The question is; why the plan to use it in Ekiti?"

He continued: “To heighten their game, the APC in collaboration with INEC are planning to heavily pre-load the Smart Card Readers and also release ballot papers to their members for ballot stuffing, to justify the pre-load.

“We are concerned again by APC’s plan to cause violence again in the state, ahead of the election. The whole world is therefore placed on alert on the desperate bid of the APC to circumvent the will of Ekiti people at all cost, not minding the danger it portends for democracy in the country.

“We are raising this alarm to save this country from major consequences in the buildup to the 2019 general elections because the planned rigging of the Ekiti state election will serve as a prelude to their planned rigging of the elections, which is capable of plunging the country into avoidable anarchy.

“We call on the international community to in the interest of democracy in Nigeria, take interest in the Ekiti election and ensure that it is free, fair and credible."

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Recall that NAIJ.com previously reported that Governor Ayodele Fayose reiterated his call for a free and fair gubernatorial election in Ekiti state on July 14; stating that the people of the state would resist any attempt to rig the election.

He made the comment at the inauguration of the new judiciary complex in Ado-Ekiti, which was named after the state’s first chief judge and current Oluyin of Iyin-Ekiti, Oba Ademola Ajakaye.

The governor said he was aware that there were plans being hatched by certain people to rig the coming election which he said would show the difference between ‘boys and men’.

Governor Fayose warns Nigerian youths ahead of 2019, tells them what to do - on NAIJ.com TV: