Kogi 2023: INEC refutes claims by SDP over reconfiguration of BVAS machines.

Kogi 2023: INEC refutes claims by SDP over reconfiguration of BVAS machines.

Joel Oladele, Abuja

Ahead of the forthcoming off-cycle governorship election in Kogi State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has vehemently debunked claim by the Director of New Media of the SDP Governorship campaign team in Kogi State, ID Ijele, where he accused INEC of plotting to reconfigure BVAS machines in favour of a candidate.

The counterclaim came in a statement signed on Saturday by the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of the Commission, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, following a report that three of its staff are in Kogi State Government House, Lokoja to manipulate the forthcoming election.

In its reaction, INEC described the statement as “FAKE NEWS” and urged the public to disregard it as the alleged individuals are currently not in any way close to Lokoja. 

The statement read: “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.

“The public is advised to disregard the story as fake news. At the same time, the Commission appeals to political parties to desist from engaging in malicious rumour mongering of this nature.”