INEC: Did You Not Tell Us That BVAS Was Already Configured For Both Elections? – Timi Frank Knocks Yakubu

Former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, has urged the Appeal Court to disregard the request from the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu seeking an order of court to reconfigure the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS) machines.

Naija News recalls that the court had earlier granted Peter Obi of the Labour Party and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party permission to inspect the sensitive materials used for the conduct of the Presidential election.

However, Yakubu in his motion, told the court that the BVAS machine has to be re-configured for the March 11, 2023, Governorship and State Houses of Assembly election.

Reacting to the situation, Frank in a statement in Abuja on Tuesday begged the Appeal Court not to grant INEC its request.

The political activist stated that Yakubu had earlier announced that the BVAS was already configured for both elections and wondered the reason he was going back on his words.

Frank alleged that the request was a ploy by the electoral body to tamper with evidence against the substantive order of the court.

He argued that if INEC’s request is granted then all evidence to prove the rigging would be wiped off.

He said: “I hereby urge the Appeal Court not to vary its orders nor accede to the request of INEC to reconfigure the BIVAS machines.

“The request of INEC in all its ramifications is anti-people, ungodly, preposterous, jejune and beyond imagination.

“It is a poly to hide and bury germane pieces of evidences that would enable the various opposition parties to prove their election petition cases before the courts.

“The Appeal Court must realise that the outcome of this case would show whether it is on the side of the suffering and impoverished Nigerians or against them.

“This is a man who told the whole world that INEC was ready for the two elections and that the BIVAS was already configured for the two election, why this sudden change of mind and request for reconfiguration if not to destroy key evidence and hide the evil the commission perpetrated during the Presidential and National Assembly election forever?”

Speaking further, Frank noted that the outcome of the election was unfortunate and painful and Nigerians are still trying heal.

He urged the court not to make the situation in the country worse by granting INEC their request.

“We insist that there is absolutely no need for the Court of Appeal to vary its orders nor grant the request of INEC until after the BIVAS and other sensitive election materials used for the Presidential election have been digitally and forensically inspected by the aggrieved parties as already ordered by court.”

“if there is anything that needs reconfiguration, it is INEC; it presided over the worst election in the history of Nigeria and not the BIVAS machines used for the last election which are yet to be inspected by aggrieved political parties as ordered by the Appeal Court”, he added.