Kogi PDP Petition IG, Others over Alleged Bribe Scandal by INEC REC

 

The Kogi State Presidential Campaign Council of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  has petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IG), Mohammed Adamu, and others over an alleged plan by the state Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, to rig the forthcoming general election by bribing the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Professor James Akpam.

The Head of Media and Publicity, Kogi State PDP Presidential Campaign Council, Mr. Usman Austin Okai, made this known on Thursday in a statement issued in Lokoja.

According to him, the trend in the state was capable of igniting unprecedented scale of violence only second to the conflict in Somalia.

He alleged that the state government has already settled the INEC REC, Akpam, with the sum of N10 million, stressing that he has accepted to rig the election in favour the state governor during the presidential and other elections in the state.

He noted that 21 days ago, the PDP council exposed some covert attempts by the governor to deploy widespread violence as means of intimidating voters such that the outcome of the elections will be as desired by some nefarious forces.

According to him, "Nigerians may also remember that within the same period, intelligence emerged about an unwholesome relationship between the state REC of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Akpam, and the state governor which was brokered over sacks of rice.

"It is pursuant to the foregoing and newest developments that this council hereby alerts the good people of the state that finally, the REC, Akpam, has cemented his relationship with the Kogi State government.”

The statement also alleged that Akpam had accepted a list containing 200 names from the governor, Bello, for the purpose of ensuring their enlistment as ad hoc staff of the INEC who will play a crucial role in the collation of results in already determined flashpoints across the state.

"Whereas the identity of these 200 individuals are unknown, members of the state Presidential Campaign Council of the PDP have been harassed by persistent calls from the Kogi people suggesting that these individuals are members of a special strike force well-funded by the state government and trained in combat, drills and handling of weapons, training manuals and other document of INEC, including specimen of result sheets, card readers and ink, which have been handed over to Bello for onward delivery to his 200 nominees.”

Okai therefore called on the Chairman of the INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to immediately replace the Kogi State REC Akpam, before the general election.