The Accord Party in Osun State has accused the All Progressives Congress of allegedly bringing election result hackers into the state ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The party claimed that the alleged hackers were being accommodated at a hotel in Osogbo, where they were purportedly preparing to interfere with the Independent National Electoral Commission’s electronic systems.
The allegation was contained in a statement signed by the Accord State Chairman, Victor Akande, and released in Osogbo on Saturday.
According to the party, information available to it indicated that the alleged hackers were brought from Lagos and Abuja to establish an operational base in Osogbo.
Accord alleged that their objective was to compromise INEC’s digital infrastructure and manipulate election results.
The party said, “The hackers were brought in from Lagos and Abuja and they have set up an operational centre at the hotel. Their target is to compromise the INEC electronic system to impute fake election results into the INEC server.”
It urged INEC to strengthen its cybersecurity measures and ensure that the electronic systems to be used during the election were adequately protected.
Accord also called on security agencies to investigate the allegation and raid the hotel and any other locations allegedly being used for the operation.
“We also call on security agencies to raid the GMT Hotel and other illegal centres to stop the ongoing anti-democracy activities,” the party said.
The party further warned that any attempt to manipulate the August 15 election through hacking or other forms of electoral interference would be resisted.
However, the APC rejected the allegation, describing it as baseless and an indication that Accord was apprehensive about losing the election.
The APC spokesperson in Osun State, Kola Olabisi, said the party had no reason to rig the election, insisting that its candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, was capable of winning through legitimate means.
Olabisi said, “The allegation that our party is harbouring hackers in a particular hotel in Osogbo is false without any foundation, and there is no basis for that.”
He described the allegation as an attempt to damage the reputation of the APC and urged voters to disregard it.
“Our party does not need to rig any election before our candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, wins the election,” he said.
The APC spokesperson further challenged Accord to report the matter to the police if it had evidence to support its allegation.
He added, “It is the fear of losing the election that is haunting the Accord Party functionaries who are peddling the information. It is nothing but a figment of the imagination of those peddling the rumour.”
Fourteen political parties have been cleared by INEC to participate in the August 15 governorship election.
However, the ruling Accord Party, which is fielding Governor Ademola Adeleke, and the APC, whose candidate is former NIWA Managing Director Bola Oyebamiji, are regarded as the major contenders in the poll.
