By Akinwale Kasali
Muritala Ajaka, the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Governorship Candidate has alleged electoral malpractices in Ogori Magongo area of the State.
Ajaka alleged that there are missing result sheets in collation centers in the area, stating that his Agents in different areas in the State reliably informed him of the ongoing alleged electoral malpractice in the polls in the State.
In a statement his media aide, Faruk Adejoh-Audu, stated that the Party’s agents who went to a few ward collation centres in the early hours of this morning to inspect materials before accepting to take them to polling units discovered that no result sheets were available for any of the units or ward collation centres.
“In Olamaboro Ward 5 where agents of all parties escorted the Supervisory Presiding Officers, Presiding Officers and other INEC staff with security to the ward headquarters in Inele-Ugo last night, they went back to commence deployment of the materials to the polling units this morning and discovered that the entire INEC staff, materials and the security personnel have all disappeared from the Roman Catholic Mission Primary School where they left them.”
The statement also alleged that an All Progressives Congress, APC, Council Chairman was caught by security agents, with thugs ferrying large amounts of cash in the early hours of Saturday and paraded by the security agents but was later freed.
“These developments signpost reports of outrageous malpractices and manipulations that are already emerging from several areas across the state.
“Our situation room is also inundated with reports of INEC IT staff and some ward collation officers camped in three Lokoja hotels overnight to manipulate BVAS Machines and pre-fill result sheets of Lokoja, Ajaokuta and Kogi LGAs.
“There are reports of thugs riding on motorbikes to evade the checkpoints of soldiers to attack remote polling units in Dekina, Ofu, Olamaboro, Bassa, and Ankpa LGA.
“We are immediately drawing the attention of the INEC National Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, the Returning Officer for Kogi State, Election observers, local and international and head of security agencies to these outrageous electoral breeches and demanding that the commission keeps to its vow to reject results from areas that have been compromised by violence, malpractice or manipulations,” he stated.
However, electoral umpire, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has responded to a report of alleged pre-filled result sheets from a civil society organisation, Yiaga Africa, in the governorship election in Kogi State.
The CSO earlier on Saturday shared a post on its X handle saying, “Dear @inecnigeria we received a report of pre-filled results sheet discovered in PU 004, Eni Ward of Ogori/magongo in Kogi State before the commencement of voting. Kindly investigate and address this issue promptly to safeguard the integrity of the process.”
While responding on its X handle, the electoral body said it “views this situation seriously”, adding that it is currently investigating it.
“Our attention has been drawn to a report that filled result sheets were discovered in some polling units in Kogi State.
“The Commission views this situation seriously.
“Our senior officials deployed to the State are currently investigating the incident(s). The Commission will communicate its decision earnestly,” the commission posted on its social media handle.
