Oshiomhole, APC Colluding with Dr. Mustapha Lecky To Rig Edo Election

By Simeon OSAJIE

The Edo State Chapter of the People's Democratic Party, (PDP) has alleged that the former national chairman of the All Progressive Congress, (APC) Adams Oshiomhole has given script to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) National Commissioner, Dr. Mustapha Lecky to play on how to rig the September 19th governorship election in favour of Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, APC candidate.

Chris Nehikhare, State Publicity of the Edo State chapter of the PDP made the allegation at press briefing in Benin City. He said the party decided to bring the alleged evil plot to the notice of Edo people, Nigerians and all lovers of democracy the APC's plans to subvert the will of Edo electorate in the 19 September 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.

"Dr. Lecky has skewed the process to ensure it favours one party, whereby the final list released for training of the ad-hoc staff has a ratio of 10:1, between the APC and all other parties," he said.

The PDP Publicity Secretary also alleged that, "what has transpired in the recruitment of these persons is such that the Polling Officers (PO), who are supposed to be serving National Youth Service Corp (NYSC) members have been changed and Oshiomhole and Ize-Iyamu are nominating people, most of whom are not youth corps members, to fill these positions to actualize their plans to rig the election."

"The Supervisory Polling Officers (SPO) are also being engaged by Dr. 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, he said, "is working within the INEC to get its officials to cheat the system."

Nehikhare emphasised that "it is unfortunate the APC has lost the hope of getting elected through the ballot and are working with Dr. Lecky and others in the INEC to subvert the will of the people."

The PDP SPS Edo called on the INEC leadership to review the process of selecting these officials and request that Dr. Mustafa Lecky excuse himself from the process as his activities have been revealed to be threatening the integrity of the process, which will taint the outcome of the election. 

"While we have confidence in the INEC as an institution, we are calling on them to rein in Dr. Lecky and his likes, in order to have an election that would uphold the will of the people and one that they can be proud of". 

Reacting to the allegations in a telephone interview with journalists, Dr. Mustapha Leeky denied the allegations in it's entirety saying he's not a party to it.