The Peoples Democratic Party has raised the alarm that an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) National Commissioner, Dr. Mustapha Leeky, is acting the script of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Osagie Ize-Iyamu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, towards subverting the will of the Edo electorate in the September 19, 2020 governorship election.
In a statement issued by State Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chris Osa Nehikhare on behalf of Edo State PDP Campaign Council, the party accused Dr. Leeky of working with Oshiomhole and the gubernatorial candidate of the APC, with intent to compromise the engagement process of the various Ad-hoc staff to be used by INEC so as to favour the APC at the poll.
Nehikhare called on INEC leadership to review the process of selecting these officials and requested that Dr. Leeky should 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.
According to him, “We are constrained to bring to the notice of Edo people, Nigerians and all lovers of democracy, steps being taken by an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) National Commissioner, Dr. Mustapha Leeky, who is acting the script of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, Osagie Ize-Iyamu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State, towards subverting the will of the Edo electorate in the September 19, 2020 governorship election.
“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. Leeky and his collaborators in the APC.
“Dr. Leeky, it has been gathered, has skewed the process to ensure it favours one party, whereby the final Adhoc staff list released for training has a ratio of 10 adhoc staff for APC and one for the other parties.”
Nehikhare noted: “Specifically, 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 Corps (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 actualise their plans to rig the election.
“The Supervisory Polling Officers are also being engaged by Dr. Leeky to serve the interest of the APC. For the Collation Officers (CO), Dr. Leeky 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 poll and undermine the electoral process.”
He noted that Dr. Leeky is working within the INEC to get its officials to cheat the system, adding “It is unfortunate that the APC has lost the hope of getting elected through the ballot and are working with Dr. Leeky and others in INEC to subvert the will of the people.
“While we have confidence in the INEC as an institution, we are calling on them to rein in Dr. Leeky 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.”