The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has tasked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the alleged discovery of thousands of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in the home of the sacked Director General of the Department of State Security (DSS), Mr. Lawal Daura.
The party also said the alleged discovery is an indictment on INEC and has placed a huge doubt over its integrity and capacity to conduct free and fair elections in the country.
In a statement issued on Monday by its spokesman Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP called on the National Assembly to commence investigation into the matter, with the view to establishing the veracity or otherwise of the allegation.
“The PDP notes that since the news of the sordid discovery broke, neither the INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, nor any other officer of the Commission, has offered any explanation to Nigerians, a development that suggests the Commission’s complicity in the allegation,” the party said.
The PDP urged the INEC chairman to stop playing the ostrich, come out clean and inform Nigerians how thousands of electoral materials as sensitive as PVCs, under his watch, found their way into Daura’s home.
Meanwhile, the DSS has described as fake, the video circulating on social media depicting alleged recovery of some items from the Abuja and Katsina homes of its sacked Director-General, Lawal Daura.
The items, according to unconfirmed social media reports, include: N21billion cash, 400 assorted and sophisticated small arms and light weapons /rifles, and thousands of Permanent Voters Cards (PVC) belonging to Niger Republic immigrants.
Spokesman of the DSS, Mr. Tony Opuiyo, said this in a statement in Abuja: “Consequently, the service wishes to inform the public that these videos are false and should be disregarded.
“So far, no such recovery operations have been undertaken by the EFCC or any other security agency at DSS’ office or residences of the former DG.
“There is no doubt that different interests have continued to give varied accounts of the incident of last week at the National Assembly.
“It may, however, be recalled that the Presidency had pledged to carry out a detailed investigation regarding the alleged National Assembly siege.
“The public is, therefore, advised to exercise restraint in their narration of events and as such, desist from spreading fake news or engaging in activities that may mislead or further cause a breach of the peace as well as preempt the outcome of investigations”.