Adedokun Waliyu 
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has debunked the claim that its staff members in Kogi state are reconfiguring the bimodal voters accreditation system (BVAS) devices to manipulate the November 11 governorship polls.
The Social Democratic Party (SDP), in a statement on Saturday, alleged that some INEC staff were contracted by Yahaya Bello, the state governor, to reconfigure and personalise the BVAS.
“These devices, conveniently stockpiled by Governor Bello, are allegedly set to be clandestinely merged with INEC’s deployment in specific regions such as Okene, Adavi, and Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi State,” the SDP said.
The party warned that any attempt to disrupt or manipulate the voices and choices of the people in the forthcoming election, through electoral fraud, will be met with firm resistance.
INEC, while reacting in a statement, said the claim is false and asked the public to disregard it.
The commission added that the three persons mentioned in the allegation are not associated with the configuration of the BVAS machines and not in Kogi state at the moment.
“Mr. 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,” the statement reads.
“The configuration of BVAS is done simultaneously and exclusively in our offices in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States professionally and strictly handled by teams deployed from the national HQ, Abuja.
“The public is advised to disregard the story as fake news. At the same time, the Commission appeals to political parties to desist from engaging in malicious rumour mongering of this nature.“
