The Coalition of United Political Parties – CUPP led by its Chairman Barr. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, has raised alarm, alleging that the ruling All Progressives Congress –APC, has perfected plans to rig the 2023 General Election. In its press conference today, the Chairman of CUPP pointedly accused APC governors, principally, Imo state Governor, Hope Uzodinma and other APC governors, as well as some staff of INEC, of compromising the Commission’s database, flooding same with fake names, with a view to rigging the 2023 General Election.
Citing instances of fictitious names, pictures, dates of birth among others in the INEC register, Ikenga said that foreigners and dead people found their way to INEC register. The group also alleged that there is a grand plan to forcefully remove INEC National Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu. “We have secured the document to back up our claim that we have uncovered a well orchestrated compromise of the electoral register, falsification and upload of fake registration, move to nullify the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System –BVAS machine. Complete takeover of INEC and the removal of its chairman from office”, the chairman of CUPP said in his opening remarks. “About four months ago, we intercepted credible information about grand design of the APC to compromise the 2023 General Election and deny Nigerians their sovereign right to freely choose their leaders. This intelligence was intercepted after the plans was shared in details to the APC governors and for them to play their own roles”, Ikenga said. Part of the alleged plot to destabilize the coming 2023 General Election according to CUPP is to use a secret court process to stop the use of BVAS in the 2023 General Election.
Of particular mention by CUPP was the accusation that during the just concluded CVR by INEC, some of the APC chieftains had access to the registration machine. “During the just ended CVR exercise, from our intelligence, some of the APC controlled states had access to INEC registration machines and conducted their own registration process. This time, not with human beings; they used hundreds of thousands of computer-generated photos and faces, passport photographs, calendars, photo albums, and any human face they could lay their hands on, including outside the country and especially Africa. They went as far as Jamaica, New Zealand, to pick photos and names”, the CUPP alleged.
Insisting that the CUPP has documentary evidence to back up its claims, Ikenga said the plan was specifically for APC-governed states to use INEC registration machines and register whatever they can get registered. “They had trained personnel who were able to use only one fingerprint to register hundreds of thousands of persons. They had access to the system and these fake registrations have all passed through successfully into the database.
In reference, CUPP used the Omuma ward in Oru East LGA in Imo state termed the “Omuma magic”, to illustrate their points in great details. Omuma ward in Oru East LGA is the Imo State Governor’s ward and also the CUPP Chairman’s ward. “In 2014, Omuma ward had barely 6,500 registered voters. In recent past, Oru East being the hotbed of unknown gunmen in the state, and with high level of insecurity, many residents have relocated from their ancestral home.
However, Omuma ward; Governor Hope Uzodinma’s ward, now has about 46,000 registered voters. We are talking about ward, not the LGA. In Omuma Central School II in INEC register, you will see names like George Shidana, a man’s picture and female gender, you will see name like Dana Coky, a man’s picture and female gender, If you go to Omuma Primary School PU 001, you will see a name like Grifty Edem, a man with a female picture, Hans Bera, a woman picture and a male gender… we are talking of Omuma where you have names like Nkechi, this is how all of the registers is,” Ikenga regretted. Worst still, CUPP insisted that what has been done in Omuma ward of Oru East LGA in Imo State is what other APC Governors has also done in their states, with thousands of foreign names and fictitious individuals featured on the register.
From the foregoing, for the CUPP, it is within reason to believe that if those foreign names can be uploaded successfully to INEC database, then, fictitious accreditation can be done and also results can be compromised based on that. The CUPP then called on Nigerians and on INEC to be on their guard in defense of Nigeria’s democracy.
He is a Technical Assistant to Governor Willie Obiano’s Special Adviser on Legislative Matters, whoonce was a Special Adviser to a former Deputy Speaker of Anambra State House of Assembly. Ebuka is a second class upper division graduate of Political Science from University of Calabar, Calabar Nigeria and holds a Masters Degree in Political Science with specialization in Government and Development Studies, from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka Nigeria
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