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The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has said its attention has been drawn to a press statement issued on Wednesday, September 15 by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in which the commission assured Nigerians of speedy and comprehensively clean-up of the voter register ahead of the 2023 general election.
CUPP in a reaction on Friday, however, noted that INEC’s admission to the alleged discrepancies in the voter register and related electoral fraud has further vindicated the opposition parties.
The coalition specifically noted the renewed resolve by the commission to openly prosecute those fingered in the alleged widespread falsification of the voters’ register.
The opposition parties in a statement signed by its spokesman, Bar Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere also welcomes the assurance by INEC to investigate the reported secret move by some undemocratic elements to force the commission to dump the use of the widely accepted Bimodal Voters Accreditation System ( BVAS) machine in the 2023 election.
“And for the avoidance of doubt, the exposed discrepancies by opposition parties in Voter register in 22 APC controlled states was not to witch-hunt any person or group of persons ,but a patriotic move by CUPP to further alert INEC and indeed Nigerians of desperate plot by some undemocratic forces to compromise 2023 election,” he said.
CUPP in the statement noted that the assurance by the commission to flush out the fake names and the resolve to prosecute those behind the alleged electoral fraud would further help to douse the tension in some states where this unprecedented manipulations were already uncovered.
CUPP noted with interest the swift response of INEC to an earlier press conference by the opposition during which the coalition raised alarm over alleged high profile plot by agents working for 22 APC controlled states to compromise the 2023 election .
The coalition commended the bold steps already taken by the commission for instance to delete so far over 3,000 fake names in the Voter register from a particular ward in the South-East.
He said, “We are happy that the commission admitted some of the discrepancies we had earlier raised in the register but we want to particularly commend the commission for taken the necessary steps to address this monumental electoral fraud which in our mind were perpetuated by those working to compromise the 2023 election .
“INEC by alluding to the exposed discrepancies for instance in Imo state has further vindicated the opposition parties which had on Wednesday alerted Nigerians of plot by APC controlled states to rig the 2024 election.
“As opposition parties we await the final cleaned list by the commission, and this is the only way to douse the tension already generated by this fraud”
INEC had in the statement signed by its National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee Festus Okoye admitted the alleged discrepancies in the Voter register by CUPP and however confirmed that the commission had since commenced the cleaning of the Voter list ahead of the forthcoming general election .,
According to him “it is only after the cleanup and claims and objections have been completed that the final register will be published.
Source: Leadership
