The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alleged that Josephine Obozuwa, a presiding officer in the Edo State governorship election, allocated non-existent votes to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In a statement by its spokesperson, Debo Ologunagba, the PDP called for the arrest and prosecution of the presiding officer for electoral fraud and ballot manipulation.

“The PDP demands that INEC effects the immediate arrest and prosecution of the indicted Presiding Officer Obozuwa Josephine, cancel the election in Osholo Primary School Polling Unit and take steps to address other such infractions in this election,” the party said.

The party alleged that Ms Obozuwa, the presiding officer for the Osholo Primary School polling unit, Weppa, in Etsako East Local Government Area, “fraudulently” gave 352 “non-existent” votes to the APC.

“The election result sheet for Osholo Primary School Polling Unit, Weppa in Etsako East Local Government Area shows that whereas 213 voters were accredited, Obozuwa Josephine criminally and fraudulently allocated 352 votes to the APC, 52 to the PDP and one to the LP, giving a total of 406 as votes cast.

“It is highly provocative that the INEC PO Obozuwa Josephine could be so compromised by the APC to audaciously and feloniously allocate unearned 352 votes to the APC above the 213 voters officially accredited in that Polling Unit,” PDP said.

The party likened Ms Obozuwa’s alleged action to that of Hudu Yunusa-Ari, the resident electoral commissioner in Adamawa, who illegally declared Aisha Binani Dahiru of the APC the winner of the state’s 2023 governorship elections.

In a letter, Mr Yunusa-Ari justified his actions and insisted that Mrs Binani got the most valid votes. However, INEC said incumbent Ahmadu Fintiri won the polls by 430,821 votes against Mrs Binani, who polled 396,788.

“This reckless act by Obozuwa Josephine is reminiscent of the criminal conduct of the former Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mallam Hudu Ari, during the 2023 Governorship election in that state, which provoked violent protest by the people and nearly led to the loss of lives of INEC officials,” PDP said.

It warned that Ms Obozuwa’s “criminal action” could also result in protest, which erupted after the Adamawa REC’s action.

“Our party holds that Obozuwa Josephine’s action is one of the many cases of electoral fraud, ballot manipulation, betrayal of public trust and crime against the state perpetrated in this election by the APC and unscrupulous INEC officials, which must not go unpunished,” PDP stated.

PDP said it had, on several occasions, raised the alarm over the APC’s alleged compromise of the INEC’s system through the recruitment of the party’s members as electoral officers to manipulate processes.

However, INEC, in a statement, vowed to investigate the allegation.

“The commission’s attention has been drawn to an allegation of wrong figures entered into polling unit result sheets in the ongoing Edo State governorship election.

“This is the second complaint we have received out of the 4,519 polling units used for the election. The commission will immediately investigate the matter and deal with any proven infraction,” said the electoral body.