Ahead of the November 11 governorship election in Kogi state, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says the allegations made by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) that the staff of the commission are allegedly reconfiguring Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) as false.
The commission noted that three persons mentioned were not associated with the configuration of the BVAS machines and not even in Kogi State at the moment.
The Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, in a statement issued Saturday said the configuration of BVAS is done simultaneously and exclusively in the commission’s offices in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States by teams deployed from the national headquarters, Abuja.
Oyekanmi said: “The attention of the Commission has been drawn to a statement signed by ID Ijele, Director of New Media of the SDP Governorship campaign team in Kogi State.
“The statement alleged that three staff of INEC are right now maliciously reconfiguring the BVAS machines in the Government House, Lokoja, with the intention of manipulating the forthcoming Governorship election in a part of the State in favour of a candidate.
“The story is untrue. The three persons mentioned are not associated with the configuration of the BVAS machines and not even in Kogi State at the moment. Mr. Nicholas Ocholi is on his duty post in our Ondo State office in Akure. Ibrahim Egbunu is attending to a very close family member hospitalised in Abuja. Mohammed Adara retired last year and is no longer a staff of the Commission.
“The configuration of BVAS is done simultaneously and exclusively in our offices in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States professionally and strictly handled by teams deployed from the national HQ, Abuja.”
Oyekanmi, therefore, urged the public to disregard the story as fake news, while also appealing to political parties to desist from engaging in malicious rumour mongering of this nature.