Kehinde Fajobi
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State has confirmed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has agreed to shift the inspection of election materials to Thursday, allowing the party more time to prepare.
Edo State APC Chairman, Jarret Tenebe, and the party’s legal counsel, Victor Ohiosumwan, explained to journalists that the postponement was necessary due to a mix-up in their inspection process.
Tenebe stated, “They were supposed to start with the inspection of the register, but we were not fully prepared. INEC had already given us a register, which we were supposed to compare with the one they will present. There are suspicions regarding the BVAS devices, which were reportedly loaded from the government house, and concerns about the registers.”
He added that the APC wanted to thoroughly examine the registers to ensure they are authentic, particularly due to a case involving the PDP’s candidate’s registration status.
Meanwhile, the legal team of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who were also present at the INEC headquarters in Benin City, did not offer any comments.
Earlier, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner in Edo State, Anugbum Onuoha, denied allegations made by the PDP that he had resisted access to BVAS inspections.
Onuoha, in a statement, called the accusations “baseless and misleading.” He reiterated that no party was denied access to the BVAS and invited all political parties to inspect the system on Wednesday.