In the run-up to today’s off-cycle governorship election in Imo State, the Labour Party’s (LP) gubernatorial candidate, Athan Achonu, has raised alarm over an alleged plan to manipulate the electoral process.
Achonu claims that there is a deliberate scheme to cause malfunctioning of the Biometric Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in select polling units across the state. He contends that this strategy is designed to either fabricate fraudulent election outcomes or disrupt the voting process in specific areas where the perpetrators lack influence.
The LP candidate voiced his concerns while addressing journalists in Owerri, the capital of Imo State.
Speaking through his Director of Media and Publicity, Chibuikem Diala, Achonu urged the Resident Electoral Commissioners (REC) to intervene and prevent the alleged manipulation of BVAS passwords by the Registration Area Technical Support (RATECH) team.
He asserted that the purported actions by officials on the eve of the election were aimed at compromising the integrity of the electoral process.
Achonu’s representative stated, “The Senator Athan Achonu Media Centre wishes to alert security agents and patriotic INEC staff, especially those deployed from outside Owerri for this election, about the already finalized plans to compromise the BVAS for use during the election by the RATECH team.”
“Credible intelligence from certain Local Government Areas in Owerri Federal Constituency has revealed discussions among the technical team in those areas regarding the issuance of incorrect passwords to some ad hoc staff for the election.”
“In particular, this insidious plan was reportedly discussed at the Owerri Municipal and Owerri North Local Government Areas, where the Head of the RATECH team has purportedly concluded arrangements to provide inaccurate passwords to Presiding Officers, especially those assigned to polling units with a high voter turnout.”
“According to the information received, the directive is to ensure that some of the BVAS devices malfunction at the polling units, with the objective of either manipulating the election result or disrupting the voting process in specific areas where the perpetrators lack significant influence.”
“This is disgraceful and wicked. All party agents at every polling booth and ward, as well as voters, should hold the RATECH Team accountable, not the Presiding Officers, in cases where BVAS passwords are incorrect due to compromise. We also implore all Presiding Officers to report this malpractice wherever it is encountered.”
