By Aaior K. Comfort

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are locked in a heated dispute over allegations of a plot to tamper with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) used in the September 21, 2024, governorship election in Edo State. The PDP claims that compromised officials within the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are collaborating with the APC to alter election data in favor of the defeated APC candidate, Monday Okpebholo.

The PDP’s candidate, Asue Ighodalo, lost the election with 247,274 votes to Okpebholo’s 291,667 votes, but the PDP has vowed to challenge the result in court. According to the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, INEC’s refusal to release election materials, including BVAS machines, has delayed the party’s ability to file a petition, raising suspicions of a deliberate plot to suppress evidence of rigging.

In response, the APC held a protest outside INEC’s office in Benin, led by Deputy Governor-elect Dennis Idahosa. The APC warned against any attempts to manipulate electoral materials and urged INEC to maintain transparency.

The clash comes as the PDP and its legal team struggle to inspect the materials needed for their case, with INEC officials citing logistical delays. The case has been further complicated by the expiration of the PDP’s deadline to file a petition.

The situation continues to escalate, with both parties accusing each other of attempting to manipulate the outcome of the election ahead of the tribunal’s review.