By Olusegun Olanrewaju
The coalition, Conference of Political Parties (CUPP), yesterday strolled into another round of controversy over fresh allegations that plots are on to truncate the use of the Bimodal Voter Registration System (BIVAS) and electronic transmission of voting results in the 2023 general elections.

CUPP, a group of 18 registered political parties and civil society organisations (CSOs), among other things, also alleged that had been perfected by the perpetrators of a plot to create a crisis of confidence rooted in ‘trumped up charges that could lead to the removal of top officials of the electoral umpire, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

According to the alarm, INEC’s chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, and other national commissioners, as well as those insisting on the use of the BVAS for the 2023 elections and the ‘irreversible’ use of electronic transmission of the result, are also being penned down for sack before the crucial elections.

That, observers say, mirrored a twist in the tale as the CUPP had claimed to have “intercepted intelligence of an alleged fresh plot against the 2023 elections, and this time being coordinated by leading figures of the ruling APC (All Progressives Congress) party, APC Governors led by a South-East APC governor with a controversial past.”

The coalition further averred that the intelligence it got “and another from the North-West” showed that forces were “working with their colleagues to perfect a plot to intimidate INEC leadership into abandoning the use of electronic transmission and uploading of election results to the INEC server, deactivation of the BVAS machine from INEC server, and the creation of crisis of confidence based on trumped up charges that will lead to the removal of top officials of the commission including the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and other national commissioners who are insisting on the use of the BIVAS for the 2023 election and the irreversible use of electronic transmission of the results.”

The CUPP, parties, and CSOs expressed their views during a press conference by their chairmen, political leaders, and heads of political associations held in Abuja, which text briefing was jointly read by the spokesperson of the coalition and the Peoples Democratic Party House of Representatives candidate for Ideato federal constituency in the National Assembly from Imo State, Ikenga Ugochinyere, and CUPP National Secretary, as well as the Labour Party (LP) candidate for Ankpa/Olamaboro/Omala federal constituency of Kogi State, Peter Ameh.

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The text reads in part, “We have been tipped off by our intelligence both inside the APC and the camp of the governors in the conspiracy, and we can state that the opposition receives information that the INEC leadership, especially senior officials, are being put under immense pressure to abandon the use of the BVAS machine, result transmission, and in particular to deactivate the BVAS from the server, an alleged dangerous request which if ever granted under any circumstances, can throw Nigeria into pre and post-election crises, and will be unacceptable to Nigerian voters, especially the youths who have renewed confidence in the electoral process.

“We are also informed that there is a plot to cause a leadership change in the Commission’s top hierarchy and cause a sweeping change with less than 140 days to the elections.

“The alleged plan to remove Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and top officials of INEC is a no-go area. The political parties in the country will not accept it.

“This alleged plot has been coordinated by some APC chieftains and governors led by a controversial South-East APC governor. If this plot is not crushed, it can discredit our election and throw Nigeria into crisis.”

*It’s senseless, says Oyalowo, APC PCC member

However, no sooner had the alarm been raised than a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Ayo Oyalowo, condemned the claims as senseless.

Speaking on a Channels TV programme, Politics Today, Oyalowo yesternight said, “The claims make no sense. Why would a party in government that went through the rigours of putting in place an Electoral Act law think of doing that?

“I will allow the statement to go where it belongs, the trash can. The allegations are irresponsible. Our concern right now is to mobilise for our party to win elections.”