BCO: INEC deserves kudos for frustrating opposition’s rigging plot

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deserves commendation for postponing the presidential and National Assembly elections, the Buhari Campaign Organisation (BCO) said yesterday.

The group said by rescheduling the election, the electoral empire had succeeded in foiling plans by the opposition PDP to rig its way to power.

The BCO alleged that sensing that there was no way they could win Saturday’s election, the PDP leaders planned massive rigging across the country which was uncovered by the “vigilant INEC.”

The president’s support group stated this in reaction to claims made on Saturday by the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) of alleged plan by President Muhammadu Buhari to suspend INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and replace him with Amina Zakari to perfect rigging for the APC.

BCO’s Director of Communications and Strategic Planning, Malam Gidado Ibrahim, said the reverse was the case as INEC deliberately shifted the polls to thwart the plan by the opposition to rig the elections.

The group noted that the alarm raised by CUPP over alleged plans to remove INEC chairman was a perfect plan to cover up for the massive rigging plotted by the PDP, which left the electoral body with no other option than to postpone the elections.

Ibrahim said: “The basis for the claims made by CUPP is that President Buhari, like every other Nigerian, expressed misgivings about the election shift. The truth, however, is that the opposition, with its shrill voice, is merely diverting attention from the revelation that they had perfected plans to rig the polls using huge sums of money, which they distributed on the eve of the postponed elections.

“Based on intelligence report that money had been shared by the opposition on the eve of the polls to buy voters, INEC decided to shift the elections to save the country from the sinister plot by the opposition to send the country back to the dark days of rigging and manipulation of the electoral process to rob Nigerians of their right to decide who becomes their leader,” he said.

The BCO further appealed to Nigerians to be patient with INEC, saying the commission’s decision to shift the elections was taken to save democracy from the fangs of corrupt politicians in the opposition who think elections in Nigeria can never be free, fair and credible.

“We also urge Nigerians to be steadfast and watch out against corrupt political elements in the opposition who are bent on manipulating the electoral process in a desperate bid to return to power at all cost to continue their looting spree.

“INEC took the decision of shifting the polls in good faith and we in BCO are solidly behind the electoral body,” he said.