The All Progressives Congress (APC) has denied the allegation that it supplied the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) machines used for the conduct of the 2023 election to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
TrackNews reports that the APC made the denial in a fresh process filed before the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal by its lead counsel, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) to counter the petition filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, against its candidate and President-elect, Bola Tinubu.
The ruling party said the allegation by Atiku is malicious, adding it was not aware that INEC procured the BVAS machines from a company belonging to one of its members.
The party further dismissed Atiku’s claim that INEC compromised by awarding a contract for the production of sensitive materials that were used for the general elections, to a company owned by one of its chieftains.
It, however, admitted that a firm linked to its governorship candidate in Adamawa State, Senator Aisha Dalhatu Binani, got the contract to supply electoral materials to INEC.
In a written statement on oath to counter Atiku’s petition, the ruling party insisted that the contract awarded to Binani did not affect the outcome of the 2023 general elections.
It said: “That even if Senator Muhammed Sani Musa is a director of Actirate Technologies Limited, he has nothing to do with the operations and day-to-day activities of the company.
“That I know that Binani Printing Press Limited had been involved in printing and supplies for several years before the 2023 election.
“That I know that Aisha Dalhatu, though a director in Binani Printing Press Limited, but only in a nominal sense as she was never involved in the day-to-day running and activities of the company.
“That there are other directors of Binani Printing Press Limited who are responsible for the day–to–day running of the company and have nothing to do with politics.
“That the award of the contract for the supply of electoral materials to be used for the 2023 election to Binani Printing Press Limited has nothing to do with Aisha Dalhatu who was the Gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress for Adamawa State for the 2023 general election.
“That I know that Binani Printing Press Limited is a separate and distant body from the person of Aisha Dalhatu.
“That the award of contracts of any kind matching supplies of materials by the 1st Respondent (INEC) always follows a due process that cannot be compromised.
“That the award of contracts for the supply of materials to Binani Printing Press Limited followed due process and was purely on merit.
“That I know as a fact that Binani Printing Press Limited employs global best practices in all its operations matching duty of confidentiality to its numerous clients, including the 1st respondent.
“That the engagement of Binani Printing Press Limited by the 1st respondent was based on competence and experience. “That I know that the engagement of both Binani Printing Press Limited and Actirate Technologies Limited by the 1st Respondent did not in any way affect the conduct of the election of 25th February 2023 either in favour of the 2nd and 3rd Respondents or any political party at all.
“That it is not true that the 3rd Respondent’s leadership was involved in the supply of BVAS and all or any electoral materials to the 1st respondent for the election of the 25th February 2023.”
Tinubu’s Academic Qualifications
On the issue of qualification, the APC listed Tinubu’s academic certificates as part of the documents it will enter into evidence before the court, saying Atiku’s contention was “vague, bare and meaningless as having the constitutional threshold is not part of the requirement to contest an election”.
It said Atiku’s petition was devoid of necessary particulars/information to support allegations of corrupt practices, violence and non-compliance with provisions of the Electoral Act.
