Why INEC declared election in Lagos constituencies inconclusive

The Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Sam Olumekun, has explained why the commission declared elections in six federal constituencies in the state as inconclusive.

Olumekun said over 100 polling units were affected, with Ajeromi Ifelodun Federal Constituency the most affected with 71 polling units. Oshodi/Isolo Federal Constituency had election from 48 polling units declared inconclusive.

Densely populated areas like Oshodi, Isolo, among others in Lagos were marred with violence. Consequently, INEC declared elections in those places inconclusive.

Olumekun said the results from 75 polling units were cancelled due to violence/over voting and smart card reader malfunction.

He said the elections in 31 polling units were cancelled due to outright disruption by hoodlums.

“14 were cancelled due to one violence or the other, 13 due to just over voting, five due to manual voting and not using smart card reader, and three due to outright malfunction of smart card reader.”

He said the elections in two polling units were cancelled because the collation officers could not produce results for the polling units.

“Two (others) were cancelled due to ballot box snatching, and one polling unit was cancelled due to the fact that the total inquiry done from the card reader that day exceeded the number of votes cast by wide margins,” said Olumekun.

“After a careful, thorough and painstaking review of the presidential /National Assembly elections in the state, commission observed that six federal constituency elections were inconclusive as a result of political thuggery, violence, snatching and disruption of ballot paper and boxes, manual voting and over voting in some polling units,” he added.

The election was lauded by some observers as more peaceful than polls in the past, however, a group of Civil Society Organisations said at least 39 people lost their lives.

Atiku Abubakar, the People’s Democratic Party presidential candidate, said that there were “statistical improbabilities” that were apparent during the elections, such as high turnout in areas plagued by conflict and lower turnout in peaceful states.

The former vice president has filed a suit contesting the results of the election.

Buhari’s APC got 56 percent of the votes while Atiku’s PDP had 41 percent of the votes.

The opposition claimed the margin of victory by APC was due to massive rigging.