Governor Adams Oshiomole of Edo state has alleged that the image of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the Nigerian who was jailed in the United States in 2012 for terrorism offences is on a fake voters’ register that may be used during the state governorship election holding today.
Oshiomhole made the allegation when the US Consul General in Lagos, F John Bray paid him a visit in the state government house yesterday ahead of today’s governorship election in the state.
According to Oshiomole, he was shocked to see the portrait of the “underwear bomber” in the fake register, but with a Benin name.
Abdulmutallab was convicted of attempting on December 25, 2009 to detonate explosives hidden in his underwear on board an airline from Amsterdam to Detroit, Michigan.
“Right now, we have evidence of two versions of voter’s register, the one they have officially distributed and the one that some elements within the ICT in INEC have also produced in Abuja.If INEC has two versions of voters register and they display one officially, then we have a problem. And the reason why this is extremely worrisome for me is that in my election in 2012, INEC tried to use this method to disenfranchise many of our supporters. For example, I was shocked to find the portrait of Mr Abdulmutalab, and that will interest your Excellency, the young man who has been jailed in the US for a terrorist act. His portrait is in the fake voter’s register with a Benin name under it. I am sure if you look at the face, if we don’t know the face, you the US officials know the face. And you find the name under it, that it is a Benin name in Ovia South West”he said
