As the legal fireworks is expected to begin soon on the highly disputed governorship election in Kogi State, a core member of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) in Kogi State, Otunba Dino Melaye, has alleged that members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have been thumb-printing ballot papers to cover up for the alleged rigging of the December 3 governorship election.
Dino alleged that his party, ACN, has authentic information that the PDP leadership in Kogi summoned some political appointees in the state and mandated them to assemble 50 people from each of the local governments.
These mercenaries, he claimed will be paid one thousand naira each for the dirty job.
Melaye made these assertions during a media briefing yesterday.
He said, “The ACN and its candidate filed a petition at the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal, sitting in Lokoja, against the scientific rigging that characterised the December 3rd election.
“Having seen what we have filed, the PDP realised that the figures appropriated to PDP and its governorship candidate does not tally with the ballot papers that were submitted to INEC.
“Because of this, they initiated the thumb printing of ballot papers, knowing fully well that there would be forensic investigation of the ballot papers.
“They want to ameliorate the situation by thumbprinting ballot papers that will tally with the vote allocation.
“We are crying out to INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega and Nigerians to reveal what they are doing. No amount of intimidation or blackmail will distract our attention from pursuing this just cause.
“We will continue to monitor them to see how these ballot papers would be transported to INEC in either Lokoja or Abuja. Many have alleged that INEC is an extension or parastatal of PDP, but we are waiting to see if this is true or not.
“We urge INEC to stop these illegal ballot papers from finding their way into its offices anywhere. We were told that the ballot papers were serialised, but nothing is impossible in this country; they could have been duplicated”
“The battle to save our people and reclaim our mandate is a battle of no retreat no surrender. We will do everything within the ambit of the law to reclaim our stolen.
“Recent revelations and judgments in the Appeal Court have proven that, indeed, Kogi PDP has rigging flowing in its DNA.
