The candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, for Oredo West constituency in the state House of Assmebly, Chris Okaeben, on Thursday, denied allegation by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of diverting Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs, said to have been destroyed by flood.
Recall that the PDP had raised alarm over allegations of divertion of PVCs to supporters of the APC.
Mr Okaeben also said that the actions of the PDP was an indication that the party was not ready for election knowing that it would lose just as he threatened legal action against the party and some leaders of the party.
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He said: “The PDP don’t have supporters and they don’t have any means of winning election again, they are using all these lies to lure states controlled by PDP to get financial support from them, but unfortunately they have forgotten that those states have their election coming up too.
“It is clear that they are not ready for elections but willing to cause commotion with a view to creating impression before the international community that they are being intimidated and harassed.
“They do not have the money to pay their agents Edo. They are relying on River and Akwa Ibom state governments.
“They say they will win the presidential election, how are they going to do that? Out of 36 states, APC controls 27 I am yet to understand how a party controlling only nine states will be boasting that they will win the presidency”
On the allegation of sharing PVCs to APC members, he said: “Under the Electoral Law, the election umpire is INEC and they are the owners of PVCs and PVCs are not tissue papers that will be destroyed by water but it can be defaced.
“He is only crying foul because his job is on the line, after the election, it is clear that he will be out of job.
“This same time four years ago, it is on record that I notified the police where the same PDP were buying PVC cards somewhere around Siluko Road, we accosted them and they were arrested and taken to state command of the Nigerian police but because they were controlling the government at the centre at that time, they went to the AIG to allege a case of kidnap against me. Some of their members confessed to it but however the case went, I am not privy to it.
“This is cheap blackmail, INEC has been publicising that people who registered should go and collect their PVCs, political parties have been campaigning that people should go and collect their PVCs so if Chris Okaeben now campaigned that people who registered should go and collect their PVCs does that make me an INEC official? They should come and prove this allegation.”
