The Director General of the Labour Party (LP) Presidential Campaign Council, Mr. Akin Osuntokun, has alleged that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) was “perverted” during the presidential and National Assembly elections.
Osuntokun made the allegation on Wednesday, less than two weeks after the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu was declared winner of the February 25 election.
He defeated the LP candidate Peter Obi and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flag bearer Atiku Abubakar in the presidential election.
While Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said glitches with BVA S stalled the uploading of election results to the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV), critics and the opposition have slammed the electoral umpire for the situation, accusing it of incompetence.
Osuntokun specifically who claimed that the BVAS was distorted and therefore messed up the exercise, noting, however, that the party is compiling its results of the process.
“BVAS has been perverted. Something that is to serve a good course has now been perverted. Because once the BVAS does its role – takes a picture of the results – the polling agents will have it,” the LP DG said while fielding questions on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
“So, the polling agents have all the results and we have our own that is presently being compiled.”
The LP DG, who claimed that the party won some states by wilder margins, maintained that his principal, Obi, was victorious in the presidential election.
“It has been said before – about nine opinion polls – prior to the election said Obi was going to win,” he insisted.
Despite the glitches with the February 25 poll, Osuntokun said the electoral umpire has a chance to redeem itself.
“INEC has another opportunity on Saturday [governorship and state house of assembly elections] to redeem itself,” the LP chieftain added.
He, however, said he will be “pleasantly surprised” if INEC conducts hitch-free polls on Saturday.
For Osuntokun, the concerns raised about the presidential and National Assembly elections should be a source of worry for President Muhammadu Buhari who promised to leave a legacy of credible election process.
“He wants Nigerians to remember him for the best election ever conducted,” the DG continued. “But look at the absurdity of what has happened! Is this the legacy he wants to bequeath?”