Lagos PDP Legal Adviser Alleges Non-usage of Card Readers in APC Strongholds

Ojo M. Maduekwe The legal adviser for the Lagos State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Adeleke Adefala, has sent a protest letter to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), alleging that card readers were not used at the All Progressives Congress (APC) strongholds during the just concluded governorship and state House of Assembly elections in Lagos.

In the letter addressed to the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Lagos State, and copied to INEC chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, Adefala wrote: “The PDP in Lagos State write to bring to your attention the following issues for your immediate resolution.”

According to him, “Our candidates have brought to our attention that contrary to electoral rules and guidelines, the newly introduced card readers were not used in the following local governments.”

The local governments where card readers were alleged not to have been used were Epe, Babagry, Mushin, Ikorodu, Eti Osa, Alimosho, Ikeja, Ibeju Lekki, Lagos Island, and “some parts of other local governments.”

According to Adefala, “This amounted to no proper accreditation of voters and a denouncement of the sanctity of the voting process. There were numerous complaints of front and uploading of the card readers with fictitious names before commencement of accreditation in areas where card readers were used i.e Lagos Island, Ikorodu, Kosofe, Lagos Mainland and Badagry.

“We hereby demand for the suspension of the collation and release of the results pending investigation into our complaints. A simple step is for INEC to present for inspection the data from the card readers allocated to the above mentioned local government areas since the INEC premises is WiFi enabled, the card reader can be accessed for instant verification.

“In the interest of justice, fair play and electoral transparency and the confidence reposed by the Nigerian voters in INEC as a veritable institution of democratic tenets. We demand that this investigation be conducted immediately. The first step is the immediate suspension of the collation and release of the results. We thank you in advance for your anticipated prompt response to our demands.”