EXTRA: APC must become born again to end electoral malpractice, says Dino Melaye

Dino Melaye, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi, has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of electoral malpractice in the ongoing election in the state.

Speaking with journalists at his residence on Saturday, Melaye accused the ruling party of sharing money and gifts to voters.

The PDP candidate noted that there were problems in Ogori Magongo LGA and five LGAs in Kogi central where INEC officials were seen carrying already “filled result sheets in their bags even before accreditation”.

“That was a huge disappointment because I thought INEC would use this opportunity to redeem its image,” he said.

“It’s a shame that we saw filled result sheets carried not by hoodlums or party agents, but INEC officials.

“I called my agents and told them that anywhere they are not shown a blank sheet before accreditation, they should not participate in the election. And that is what they did in Ogori Magongo.”

But he commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the timely deployment of voting materials to the polling units.

On how electoral malpractice can be eradicated in Nigeria, the former senator said “the way to end electoral malpractice is for APC to become born again”.

“They were sharing wrappers and huge sums of money today to monetise the conscience of voters,” he said.

“Nigerians must also have an attitudinal change if we want to change this country.”

Melaye commended the security agencies for a job well done, adding that they must ensure the collation centres are secured the same way they protected the polling units.

“The collation centres must be protected at all levels. We have called on relevant quarters to ensure collation centres are protected in every LGA and the final collation centre in Lokoja should be adequately protected,” he said.

“We have called on the INEC chairman and REC of the state that observers should not be allowed inside the collation centre because most of the APC members got the observer tag and we don’t know how they got it. Once they get in with the observer’s tag, they dominate the place and cause havoc.

“Observation is only for the voting process and only agents should be present during collation.

“A situation where commissioners and special assistants to the governor will wear observers tag and stroll into the collation centre will not be allowed by the PDP.”