INEC confirms incidences of pre-filled result sheets in Kogi

• Suspends Elections In Nine Wards •Vows To Sanction Erring Officials

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has suspended elections in nine wards of Kogi State following incidences of electoral malpractice.

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and election observers had earlier raised alarm that pre-filled results sheets were discovered in some polling units in the state before commencement of voting. Reacting, the commission promised to investigate the incident.

National Commissioner and Member Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, while confirming the incident in a statement, said the commission has officially received reports of electoral malpractice in some locations in Kogi, particularly the incident of result sheets completed before voting.

Describing the development as unacceptable, Haruna said reports indicated that the incidents occurred in Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi and Okene Local Government Areas.

According to him, the most serious incidents occurred in Ogori/Magongo, affecting nine of the 10 Registration Areas.

“This is entirely unacceptable. Any result not emanating from the Commission’s process in the Polling Units will not be accepted,” he stated.
Noting that the Commission is determined not to reward bad behaviour, Haruna declared that the “election in the nine Wards in Ogori/Magongo LGA (Eni, Okibo, Okesi, Ileteju, Aiyeromi, Ugugu, Obinoyin, Obatgben and Oturu) is at this moment suspended.”

He said the incidents in the other local councils were being thoroughly investigated, adding that the outcome, including the way forward, would be announced in the next 24 hours.

He said: “Meanwhile, as the processes continue, we follow the audit trail of personnel and materials to ascertain those who may have been complicit in undermining the process. We have a record of all officials deployed at various levels as supervisors, monitors, technical staff or polling unit officials and all election materials issued to them. Appropriate sanctions will be applied where necessary.

“The Commission assures voters in Kogi State that their votes are protected, and their wishes will be respected.”

Bello Optimistic Of Victory For APC Candidate
Charges INEC, Security Agencies To Adhere To Rules Of Engagement
From Azimazi Momoh Jimoh and Ibrahim Obansa, Lokoja
Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as well as security agencies to adhere strictly to rules of engagement in the governorship election in the state.

The governor, who expressed optimism that his party would win the election, asked the electorate to be peaceful and law abiding as they discharge their civic rights.

Bello arrived at Polling unit 11 Agassa/ Ahache ward at 9.30am with his three wives, Hajia Amina Bello, Rashida Bello and Hafiza Bello, who all voted within 20 minutes.

He called on INEC and security agents to be professional and adhere strictly to their rules of engagement as enshrined in the constitution and the electoral law.

Bello also called on citizens not to engage in the spreading of false results from the social media, stressing that they should depend on INEC’s declared result

As at 7.00 am in Lokoja, the state capital, security had beefed up security around INEC headquarters in the state. Major roads were blocked by security personnel. There was absolute restriction of vehicular movement.

Local council INEC officers were seen dispatching the sensitive material and staff to various polling units in the area. The polling units across Kogi Central District of the state witnessed a large turnout of voters. Electoral officials arrived as early as 7.45am and accreditation started as early as 8am and 8.15am in some of the units visited.

Polling Unit Code 8 in Idanuhua Ward, Adavi Local Council, opened as early as 8am with a very large turnout of voters, who were very enthusiastic and eager to cast their votes.

The BVAS machines were functioning very well aside from Polling Unit 06 in Idanuhua Ward, Adavi Local Council, where they failed to work at the time of filing this report.

Remain Confident Of Victory, Maleye Tells Supporters
Demands Cancellation Of Results In Five Local Councils
From Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Abuja
Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in yesterday’s governorship election in Kogi State, Senator Dino Melaye, has described as baseless speculation that he had withdrawn from the race.He accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of being behind the speculation.

In a statement by his Campaign Council, yesterday, Melaye said that his political opponents who were being intimidated by his popularity were spreading the speculation.

In the statement signed by the spokesperson of the campaign council, Omoyemi Gold Olumudi, Melaye urged his party and supporters to remain confident of victory.

It reads: “The attention of Dino/Deen gubernatorial campaign council has been drawn to a bulk SMS making the rounds that Senator Dino Melaye, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has withdrawn from the contest as a result of loss of confidence in the electoral process.

“The council invites the good people of Kogi state to disregard such watery propaganda and treat it as another fake news from those who know that they have already been rejected in Kogi State.

“The campaign council states that Senator Dino Melaye is confident of victory despite the propaganda and mechanisms by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Yahaya Bello to undermine the electoral process.
“
The council urges Kogi state electorates to stay vigilant and resist any form of intimidation and electoral heist by the failed APC.”

Meanwhile, later in the day, Melaye demanded the cancellation of the elections in five local councils of the state. The local councils, according to him, are Okene, Okehi, Ajaokuta, Adavi and Ogori/Mangogo.He alleged that the results from the units were compromised.

Posting via his official X account, Melaye said: “INEC must cancel the election in the five local governments of Kogi-Central. The election in Okene, Okehi, Ajaoukuta, Adavi, and Ogori/Mangogo is a scam coordinated from the highest level of INEC.”

CDD Decries Violence, Disinformation In Kogi, Bayelsa, Imo Polls
From Matthew Ogune, Abuja
CENTRE for Democracy and Development (CDD) has deplored the spate of election violence during the Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo states governorship elections yesterday.A member of CDD Election Analysis Centre, Dr. Jack Jackson, who raised this alarm during a press conference in Abuja yesterday, regretted that electoral violence has remained a sore point in the country.

According to Jackson, electoral violence was reported at Agala Ogane PU, Anyigba town in Dekina Local Council of Kogi State where a thug was reportedly shot and killed by military officials while attempting to snatch a ballot box.

He said there was a similar attempt in Ganaja PU, Ajaokuta LGA where the LGA chair was apprehended by voters. Jackson disclosed that in Yenagoa Local Council of Bayelsa State, observers reported that one person was shot at Famgbe community and, in PU 24
Ward, voting ended abruptly when thugs destroyed election materials at about l1:45am.

He regretted that in the affected area polling units, there was little or no presence of security officials, adding that observers reported that there were no security agents as late as 10:19am, even though voting had started in Brass PU7 Ward 7.

“Similarly, in PU9 Ward 4, security officials only arrived at 11:10 am. An incident was reported in Imo, PU1, Aladinma Ward, Owerri Municipal LGA; where a former House of Representatives member was reportedly making trouble in the area, leading to arguments with other party agents,” He added.

On disinformation, he said: “Days to the election, it was consistently claimed that the SDP candidate in Kogi, Murtala Ajaka, stepped down from the race and in the morning of the election, a false message was circulated that Ajaka was disqualified because of his running mate’s certificate controversy.

“There was a similar situation in Imo, where a video was circulated that purportedly showed the PDP’s candidate, Sam Anyanwu, had stepped down and endorsed the incumbent governor of the APC. This video was similarly debunked but not before it had been widely reported on social media and on news platforms.”

Jackson also lamented voter inducement across the three states, disclosing that observers reported incidents in PU 1, Ward 8 and PU 11, Ward 1 in Sagbama LGA in Bayelsa West.

Vote Buying Characterised Kogi, Imo, Bayelsa Elections – Situation Room
By Matthew Ogune, Abuja
DESPITE the mass deployment of operatives by the Economic Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) for the governorship elections in Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo states, yesterday, Situation Room said it received reports of widespread vote buying across the three States.

The EFCC and ICPC in separate statements ahead of the elections by their spokespersons, Dele Oyewale and Azuka Ogugua respectively, had said they had deployed their operatives to tackle any form of voter inducement and other manipulation of the electoral processes at variance with the Electoral Act.

But Situation Room in its mid-day election briefing anchored by its Convener, Y.Z Ya’u, revealed that some of the specific instances include sale of votes for amounts ranging from as low as N1,000 to N30,000 at various locations.

According to Ya’u, in Bayelsa State, voters were seen showing their thumb printed ballot papers in exchange for rice, drinks and money in PU 015, RA11, Southern ljaw LGA. He said there were reports of pre-filled results sheets in Kogi State in Ogorima/Mangogo Local where someone was apprehended with filled results sheets and N1 million cash in a bag.

According to the Convener, there were also reports of filled result sheets in RA Eika/Ohizeni, Okehi Local Council.

“In Adavi LGA, PU 044, RA01, there were reports of unavailability of election result sheets and failure to upload results on the iRev portal,” he said.

He called for a thorough investigation of the incidents in order to preserve the integrity of the elections. On election violence, Ya’u disclosed that the body observed 19 incidents of violence as at 12:30pm in the three states.

These incidents of violence, according to him, were recorded in Anyigba, Dekina LGA of Kogi State, Sagbama and Brass of Bayelsa State and Ikeduru LGA of Imo State, lamenting that two deaths were recorded in Agala Ogane, Anyigba, Dekina LGA and several injuries.

He called on INEC and security agencies to ensure the peaceful and transparent conclusion of these elections.

“Situation Room specifically calls on security agencies to continue to maintain law and order through the remaining phases of this exercise. Also, Situation Room commends the media for following the process courageously despite the tense political environment,” he added.

INEC confirms incidences of pre-filled result sheets in Kogi

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