IPAC Was Given N50 Million To Spread Falsehood About BVAS – Cross Rivers Govt

The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Cross Rivers State has been accused of collecting a sum of N50 Million to blackmail the state governor, Ben Ayade and also spread falsehood about the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

Naija News reports that the Cross Rivers State government has alleged that IPAC has compromised and is willing to be used as a tool for hire by any deep-pocket politician.

The allegation was contained in a statement issued by the Deputy Press Secretary to Ayade on Tuesday.

The statement revealed that “Everyone understands the times we are in, so IPAC cannot exactly be an exception to being a willing tool for hire, as we have since found out on good authority that a princely sum of N50 million was offered to the inter-party advisory body by its paymaster to reactivate this falsehood.

“The financial gratification, according to an insider, was offered only to a select few within the leadership to the exclusion of the general members of the state chapter of IPAC.

“As a quasi-court or ombudsman to political parties, one would expect IPAC to have focused its energy on playing the role of a conciliator and reconcile a splintered opposition in the state with its national body. But no!

“Funnily, it has redefined its activities to include but not limited to blackmail and an abject vender of falsehood, as long as there is a willing payer.”

The Cross Rivers State government further alleged that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was behind IPAC’s claims that they cannot be distracted by “the shenanigans of an opposition already buffeted by the stark reality of defeat staring it in the face.”

The statement further observed that the opposition’s endless fantasy about the presence of BVAS at the Government House, Calabar, was a product of their imagination, noting that the government does not require any form of programmed assistance of BVAS to win elections in the state.

The government’s reaction follows an allegation by IPAC that BVAS machines were reportedly warehoused in Government House Calabar.

Naija News reported on January 25 that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Cross River State, Professor Gabriel Yomere promised to resign from his job if truly any BVAS machine left his office.

It was gathered that this is as Yomere cleared the air about alleged reports that BVAS machines meant for the 2023 general election were found in the State Governor’s lodge in Calabar.

The Cross River INEC REC in a meeting with the Department of State Security (DSS) and the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in the state over the allegation concerning the BVAS machines said INEC is the only custodian of the machines and he has taken account of those for the state.

Meanwhile, IPAC in a swift reaction to the allegation has denied being paid any money to insist on sighting the BVAS machines which were allegedly warehoused at the government house in Calabar.

The IPAC Chairman, Anthony Bissong Attah told pressmen in Calabar that the group is being accused of receiving money from sponsors because it voiced suspicion of complicity by the state APC government and the security agencies, particularly the police.

Attah explained that INEC’s refusal for the organisation to inspect the BVAS machines and take a record of the IMEI of all the 3281 machines, casts doubts on INEC’s credibility to conduct the general election in the state.

He said, “We demanded that the only way we can trust the commission going forward is to inspect the BVAS in addition to taking records of the IMEI of all the 3,281 machines.”