The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has described as untrue allegations that it’s personnel are configuring the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines ahead of the November 11 off cycle governorship polls in Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo states.
Reacting to a statement reportedly by the Social Democratic Party, SDP, that INEC was configuring the BVAS machines at the Government House, Lokoja, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the chairman of the commission, said there was no truth to the report.
“The attention of INEC has been drawn to a statement signed by ID Ijele, the Director of New Media of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) of the governorship campaign team,” he said.
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“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 November 11 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 at the moment.
“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.”
Oyekanmi urged the public to disregard the story as ‘fake news’, adding that the BVAS machines were configured simultaneously and exclusively in INEC offices in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi by teams deployed from the national headquarters, Abuja.
Oyekanmi also warned politics parties against rumour mongering.
“At the same time, the commission appeals to political parties to desist from engaging in malicious rumour mongering of this nature.“
