Off-cycle elections: Voter apathy, thuggery, abduction raise concerns

Situation report from the ongoing Bayelsa, Imo, Kogi gubernatorial elections to elect their next governors shows that security operatives in Imo during the election foiled an attempt by alleged political thugs to abduct INEC officials and cart away election materials.

The report indicated that the incident happened at a registration enter in Amaimo, Ikeduru Local Government Area of lmo State as the attempt by the thugs to whisk away the INEC officials into their waiting vehicle was quickly repelled by the security personnel deployed in the centre.

An eyewitness account said the armed security operatives fired into the air from a distance, when voters in the area raised an alarm over the presence of the thugs.

“The thugs quickly retreated into their bus and sped off on hearing the sound of the gun while an unarmed Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) operative at the scene reported that “the thugs were coming to hijack the INEC officials and election materials.

In Owerri, the state capital, and its environs, armed security personnel mounted checkpoints at strategic locations as early as 6:00a.m. to enforce restriction on movements while the accreditation of voters commenced early as about 8.30am.

However, there was low turn out of voters in most of the polling units visited in the Owerri Municipal Area Council of Imo state.
Many of the people who sat in groups at the polling centers said they were not out vote but to witness the exercise.

They said that the outcome of the February 25 General Election discouraged many eligible voters from coming out to exercise their franchise in the governorship election

Some of the people displayed their voter cards but vowed not to vote, alleging that their votes will not count therefore there was no reason wasting their time again.

INEC officials arrived on time in most of the polling centers visited while accreditation and voting commenced before 8:30am.

In other polling units, some party agents alleged that thugs of a particular party chased them away from the voting centers.

A food seller Nkechi Alozie said she came out thinking the turn out would be high like that of the general election but was totally disappointed.

Personnel change accusation and rebuttal

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied changing polling unit officials who are already trained on how to make use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System.

The commission said the allegation by the Labour Party in lmo was false and baseless.

The Labour Party had alleged that personnel already deployed to a particular voting centre were changed this morning to people who didn’t take part in the INEC’s training.

The party also alleged that INEC was doing the same thing in all parts of the state.

“The Senator Athan Achonu Media Centre wishes to alert security agents and patriotic INEC staff, especially those sent from outside Owerri for this election, about plans already concluded to compromise the BVAs for use for today’s election by the RATECH team.

“A reliable intel from some LGAs in Owerri Federal Constituency has uncovered plans by the technical team in those LGAs discussing about issuing wrong passwords to some of the ad hoc staff for this election.

“Specifically, this devious plan was being discussed at the Owerri Municipal and Owerri North Local Government Areas where the Head of the RATECH team has concluded plans to issue wrong passwords to PO especially those posted to polling units with large voters. According to the source, the instruction is to ensure that some of the BVAS malfunction at the Polling Units.”

But INEC’s Head, Voter Education and Publicity, Ben-Opara Emmanuella, told newsmen that “nobody has the right to change any posting or official except with the express permission of the head of operation.

“I think it is too early to start the accusation”, she stated.

Also in Bayelsa, voters in Yenagoa local government has described the Governorship election as peaceful which one of them Maria Obot said that the electorate organised themselves in an orderly manner while voting was going on smoothly.

She also said members of the security personnel were seen at the polling units while others were patrolling the streets of Yenagoa.

Another Voter, Peter Emmanuel said the Electoral officials arrived on time but voting commenced a bit late.

A 63 year old man, Andrew Milliionaire after casting his vote advised the youth to continue to maintain the peace while an Election observer from the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution (IPCR) Mohammed Ndakogi has described the Governorship election in Bayelsa State as relatively peaceful at Atissa 1 ward 08, with 750 registered voters while on election duty.

He said they observed some elements of vote buying in some polling units visited and called on the electorate not to sell their conscience but to vote the right candidate that will give dividends of democracy to the people.

Mohammed advised the electoral body to live up to their promises of conducting free and fair elections and the winner of the election to be magnanimous in victory while the loser should do so gallantly.

Kogi election update

Situation report from Kogi State governorship election in some polling units reported low voter turnout and allegations of vote-buying.

The report informed that in Igala Mela Local Government, a local government Chairman James Onoja was apprehended over alleged vote buying, possession of large amount of cash and possession of ammunition by soldiers

He was allegedly intercepted and arrested with several supporters of the All Progressives Party (APC) for being in possession of ammunition and lots of cash.

The soldiers impounded the cash running into millions of naira as well as a large cache of ammunition.

The money and the ammunition it was gathered were packed in several ‘Ghana-must-go’ bags allegedly meant for use during the election.

A video shows the suspects sitting on the floor near an army checkpoint and expressing regrets and pleading for forgiveness.

All efforts to speak to the Police Public Relations Officer PPRO in Kogi State SP William Ovye Aya proved abortive as at the time of filing this report.

Aya failed to pick up calls or respond to text messages on this development.

Meanwhile, result sheets were reported to be missing while others have been filled in the Ogori Magongo Area of Kogi State.

About 80 percent of the result sheets in the polling units in Ogorimango Local Government had allegedly been filled before the commencement of voting on Saturday which caused chaos as some party agents insisted that they must see the results sheet before the electioneering process commenced.

Faruk Adejoh-Audu Spokesman to Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka Governorship Candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in a statement on Saturday said the result sheets of the entire polling units and ward collation result sheets in Ogori-Magongo are missing while quoting their agents on the field.

An election observer, Stephen Ojo of Christian Association of Nigeria, commended INEC and the security agencies for the peaceful and timely conduct of the poll, noting that INEC officials and election materials arrived on time, and that the BVAS was working perfectly.

Meanwhile, All Progressives Congress (APC) aims to retain power in Kogi and Imo States, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) strive to retain power in Bayelsa State.

Bayelsa has historically been a PDP stronghold since 1999 and quickly regained power after losing it in 2019 due to a Supreme Court verdict.

Governor Douye Diri, running for a second term under the PDP, faces major challengers from former Governor Timipre Sylva of the APC and Udengs Eradiri of the Labour Party (LP).

However, the electorate will vote for a new state leader as Governor Yahaya Bello exits office after his two constitutional terms.

The APC candidate, Ododo Usman Ahmed, endorsed by the incumbent, competes against Murtala Yakubu Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Dino Melaye of the PDP, and Leke Abejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

In Imo, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had cleared 17 candidates for governorship election leading with Governor Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Samuel Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party’s Athan Achonu.