From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
The protem secretary of the National Coalition for Peace and Unity, Dr. Cairo Ojuogboh has raised alarm over alleged plans to rig this Saturday’s governorship election in Delta State.
Ojuogboh, a former member of the House of Representatives, alleged that the state Returning Officer for the governorship election as well as local government collation officers have been compromised by one of the candidates.
He further alleged that the said candidate deceived the Inspector General to deploy three Commissioners of Police with to helping him to influence
the process.
Ojuogboh raised the allegations in a brief chat with newsmen in Asaba.
“I am told from very reliable sources that a particular candidate is hell bent on rigging the governorship election.
“The particular candidate has compromised INEC, that INEC has ceded the state returning officer to him, conceded the local government collation officers to him.
“And that he deceived the IG who has mobilised three CPs to help him influence the election,” he alleged.
But INEC’s Head of Voter Education and Publicity, Bukola Ojeme, debunked the allegation.
Nevertheless, Ojuogboh called on the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) to immediately changed the suspected compromised electoral officers to avoid anarchy.
“As the protem secretary for the coalition, I worry very much because this could be a recipe for crisis and so we are appealing that if there is any iota of truth in the allegations, that the INEC should change the electoral officers and the IG should redeploy the three CPs that were fraudulently brought to Delta.
“We will not allow such thing to happen, we don’t want any party to be short changed to prevent anarchy and bloodshed,” he said.
Ojuogboh praised INEC for the innovation in the accreditation of voters, saying that the commission should improve on the process.
