The Director of Media, Segun Oni Campaign Organisation, Jackson Adebayo, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission and the All Progressives Congress of an unholy alliance to cover up traces of election fraud in the June 18 governorship election in Ekiti State.
The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party in the election, Segun Oni, on Monday accused the APC of plotting to interfere with election materials to manipulate them in view of the petition against it at the elections tribunal.
This was contained in a statement issued by the Director of Media, in Ado Ekiti titled, “Ekiti: Oni alleges INEC, APC of unholy alliance to cover up traces of election fraud.”
Oni alleged that the APC was in an unholy alliance with INEC to execute the plot to allegedly cover up traces of the electoral fraud which he said culminated in the declaration by the electoral body of the APC candidate, Biodun Oyebanji, as winner of the election and governor-elect.
The statement read, “When the SDP got the tribunal’s permission to inspect the materials, INEC refused to cooperate. The last time the SDP inspection team went to the INEC office for the inspection that was fixed by INEC, sadly, the SDP could not undertake the inspection because the INEC staff member that was to guide the team was scheduled for another assignment.
“As such, the SDP was advised to wait to conduct its inspection with the APC, which was not even interested in the tribunal from the onset.”
Adebayo questioned why the APC was suddenly eager to inspect election materials, alleging that the inspection was intended to involve the APC in “vote after voting.”
However, Oyebanji, who debunked the allegation that the APC had any private link whatsoever with INEC to inspect election materials, accused the SDP of “crying wolf where there is none in their habit of trying to attract unnecessary attention to themselves in the media.”
The Publicity Director of Oyebanji’s campaign organisation, Taiwo Olatunbosun, said, “The SDP had requested leave from the tribunal to inspect election materials, which they wanted to do in secrecy. What our lawyers are saying is that the inspection should be open and transparent so that all parties involved should be there when it is done. There should be no room for foul play.
“That should not be an issue. If they are sure they have all it takes in terms of evidence and facts, they should come with transparency. I don’t think they need to start a season of blackmail when they know that the issue will be resolved at the tribunal.”
