Elections Updates: Concerns over ‘Missing INEC Officials, Result Sheets, Release Of Council Chairman Caught With Huge Cash’ In Kogi, Others
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate in the ongoing Kogi State governorship election, Muritala Yakubu Ajaka, has raised the alarm over the alleged disappearance of the Independent National Electoral Commission officials in the Olamaboro area of Kogi State.
Ajaka also raised the alarm over missing result sheets in the Ogori area of the state and alleged that the Chairman of Igalamela Local Government Area, who was reportedly caught with a huge amount of money meant for vote-buying, had been freed by security agents.
Ajaka in a statement issued by his spokesperson, Faruk Adejoh-Audu, said that the SDP agents on the field reported that result sheets of the entire polling units and ward collation result sheets in Ogori-Magongo were missing.
He said, “Our agents who went to ward collation centres in the early hours of this morning to inspect materials before accepting to take them to polling units discovered that no results 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 (SPO), 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 (RCM) Primary School where they left them.”
Ajaka further stated: “The Chairman of Igalamela LGA, a notorious thug with the street name of “Cross” was caught ferrying large amounts of cash in the early hours of this morning and paraded by securing agents but curiously he has been freed after pressures from above.
“In Ogugu, Olamaboro LGA: A senior Special Assistant to the Governor from Ogugu Ward was also arrested by Soldiers at Sabon Gari Roundabout at about 8. 00am (this morning) with cash of N28 Million and firearms. He’s being subjected to frog jumps by the soldiers at press time.
“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 by Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello in three Lokoja hotels namely Reverton Hotel, Grand Golden Royal and Suitoria Hotel 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.
“So far our agents are following the normal procedure of lodging complaints to INEC and we are hoping these concerns are addressed promptly.”
Sahara Reporters