INEC card readers produced by Buhari’s supporter, PDP alleges

The Peoples Democratic Party presidential campaign office has stated that the Independent National Electoral Commission deliberately awarded contract for the production of the card reader machine to be used for the upcoming national election to a “fanatical” supporter of Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the opposition All Progressives Congress, APC.

The allegation was made by the spokesperson of the campaign, Femi Fani-Kayode, at a press conference Wednesday in Abuja.

“A major shareholder and board member of the company that supplied the card reader system and machines to INEC is not only a friend of but also an ardent and keen supporter of General Muhammadu Buhari and the APC.

“That man’s name is Sani Musa and he is indeed the main force behind the company. The company’s name is Act Technologies Ltd. and the Chairman of the company is one Engineer SK Danladi, Fani-Kayode said.

He said INEC must explain how and why it gave the contract to supply the card readers to a “fanatical APC supporter and to a man whose other company was officially blacklisted by INEC a couple of years ago for sharp practices”.

The campaign spokesperson said Mr. Musa has expressed his undying support for the APC and Mr. Buhari and his “hatred and virulent” opposition to the PDP and President Jonathan openly and publicly on his Facebook wall.

Mr. Fani-Kayode read a text of what he claims to be a posting by Mr. Musa on his personal Facebook page.

”I stand with him (Buhari) for whatever reason” and “Imagine the kind of people given spaces in our nation’s news tabloids.  Hoodlums are having field day in Nigeria since the inception of GEJ’s administration.  Mad men, hooligans and vultures have taken over decency of the society.  May Allah save us from the torments of this (sic) rascals and expose their intentions on our nation state be it the Boko Haram, killer militants or by extension those in authority with wicked intentions-Amen.”

He said certain electronic components within the card reader system which will be used in Saturday’s election have not only been compromised but that the encryption codes and so-called ”master key” may have been made available to the APC or their friends and agents.

He said this would enable the opposition to access the system, fabricate and generate fake votes and manipulate the voting patterns to their advantage.

“This constitute a very serious breach of security and it is a criminal offence. It is also very dangerous.

“Worst still, it can easily be carried out successfully because, if done quietly and properly and without any deep scrutiny, it is virtually fool-proof,” he said.

He added that all one needs to make it work is to have certain relevant and key INEC officials that are in the know to work closely with the supplier of the card readers, and an “opposition party that is so hungry and desperate for power that they are ready to pay large sums of money to their friends and associates to help them get it by hook or by crook”.

Speaking further, Mr. Fani-Kayode said he believes that all those components are now in place and that the “biggest and most brazen attempt to rig elections in the history of our country will take place on Saturday if the necessary measures are not taken to prevent it”.

“If the conspiracy is not exposed, if the Nigerian people do not rise up and demand answers, if the plan is not intercepted and aborted, if the Chairman of INEC does not answer the relevant questions and take the necessary steps and if the relevant individuals, including Sani Musa and his collaborators and co-conspirators in INEC and the opposition, are not called to order, arrested, interrogated and prosecuted, their plan may well succeed,” he said.

Mr. Fani-Kayode said the PDP cannot sit by idly and remain silent when a “desperate group of ruthless and greedy little men, in collusion with their friends in the APC, rob the Nigerian people of their historic opportunity to elect a President of their choice”.

He said INEC and the APC plan to sit in a dark room somewhere and rig the “in the most sophisticated manner even before it holds”.

“This is unacceptable and it is incumbent upon us, as a responsible, accountable and sensible campaign organisation to expose the rot, point out the dangers of doing nothing about it, finger and identify those that are involved and call on the authorities to do something about it before it is too late,” he said.

He however, gave the assurance that in spite of everything; the PDP and Mr. Jonathan are not are not worried about what the outcome of Saturday’s election will be.

“We believe that we have the backing and full support of the Nigerian people and we believe that we shall not only win but that we shall win convincingly,” he said.

He also ask officials of the PDP and its supporters as well as polling agents to be very vigilant at every polling booth and to guard and protect their votes.

He said they should stay at the polling booths after casting their votes to ensure that their votes are counted and they are not manipulated or changed.