The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has said that the concern raised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) against the use of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) are ploys to rig the 2023 elections.
Recall that the national chairman of the APC, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, and the party’s organising secretary, Suleiman Argungu, had said that the nation was not ripe and ready for the deployment of technology in the conduct of the 2023 general election.
The duo of Adamu and Argungu had bemoaned the decision of INEC as announced by its chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, that it will deploy the BVAS and IReV in the conduct of the 2023 elections, insisting that the country doesn’t possess the technical know-how including availability of enabling communication network and facilities for same.
These statements credited to the APC leadership, according to CUPP national secretary, High Chief Peter Ojonugwa Ameh, in a statement, is most unfortunate, uncharitable and a reflection of the thinking of the party which intends to hold the Nigerian electoral system down from gradual evolution.
“It is a subtle manifestation of the plot of the APC to manipulate and rig the 2023 general election having sensed the inevitable rejection by Nigerians in the impending elections.
“We wish to state that the position of the APC is grossly unfounded, uncharitable and doesn’t in any way reflect the views of the CUPP or the general masses of the Nigerian people.
“We wish to further add that the decision of INEC has since been received by the Nigerian people with enormous optimism, enthusiasm and has rekindled their hope of a free, credible and transparent election and any attempt to go back on its words will only further breed distrust and dampen the spirit of the people.
“We encourage INEC to stay strong and proceed with the systematic implementation of these laudable reforms which are capable of cleansing our electoral system and setting it on the path of glory.
“We wish INEC success in the task ahead of her but advise that it be wary of agents of retrogression such as the APC,” CUPP said.
