By Angela Atabo
Yiaga Africa,has called for the arrest and prosecution of culprits behind the pre-filled result sheets in the off-cycle governorship election in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi.
Dr Asmau Maikudi, Member ,Watching The Vote(WTV) Working Group,made this known at a news conference on the Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi governorship election in Abuja.
Maikudi said that Yiaga Africa received a worrying report of manual accreditation of voters in Polling Unit 006 St Marthins School Ejule, Ward 03, Ofu LGA in Kogi State where the polling officials refrained from accrediting voters with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and manually accredited voters.
She said that Yiaga Africa called on INEC to ensure that the votes from polling units where the BVAS was not utilised for accreditation are cancelled in line with the Electoral Act 2022.
“The Yiaga Africa’s data center received critical incident reports relating to pre-filled election results sheets in Ogori Magongo and Okehi LGAs in Kogi State.
“In most polling units in Ehi Ward and Okesi Ward, Ogori-Magongo LGA and Eika/Ohizenyi Ward, Okehi LGA in Kogi state, INEC officials arrived at the polling units with pre-filled result sheets before accreditation and voting commenced.
” Yiaga Africa calls for the immediate arrest and prosecution of all INEC officials and their accomplices involved in this grave electoral fraud and calls for the suspension of elections in the affected Wards.
“In addition, the report was received from wards 1 and 2 Onuimo LGA in Imo State, that the Police officials refused to deploy due to an issue relating to their allowance.”
Maikudi said that INEC had to deploy its personnel and materials to the polling units unaccompanied by police officers. This was however addressed later and the Police officers deployed from 10 am to their respective polling units.
Maikudi said that Yiaga Africa received reports that although some polling units opened early, some polling units did not open as of 12 noon.
She said that Yiaga Africa commiserated with INEC on the boat mishap in Southern Ijaw, Bayelsa State and commends the citizens who took the initiative to rescue INEC staff on national duty.
She added that Yiaga Africa also condemns the abduction of an INEC Senior Presiding Officer (SPO) in Sagbama LGA and joins other well-meaning Nigerians in calling for the release of the INEC official and prosecution of the assailants.
She said Yiaga Africa noted that observers were as some party agents colluded with INEC to in some polling units in Imo.
She said they were also electoral malpractices by polling officials as some of them requested monetary inducements before allowing party agents to observe the process in Umuchenta Village Square Polling Unit (16-07-06-010) in Atonerim ward of Ihitte/Uboma LGA in Imo state.
Director Programmes ,Yaiga Africa, Cynthia Mbamalu,said after observing the critical Incidents, Yiaga Africa recommended that INEC should suspend elections in polling units/LGAs with reported incidents of pre-filled results forms.
Mbamalu said that INEC should also arrest, investigate and prosecute the individuals responsible for the electoral offence.
“Yiaga Africa calls on INEC to provide an update on when voters in locations where elections are yet to commence will vote, especially polling units affected by the late arrival of polling officials or materials destroyed due to the boat mishap.
“Yiaga Africa calls on INEC and security agencies to uphold the transparency of the results collation process by complying with guidelines on results management.”
Mbamalu said Yiaga Africa called on
INEC to ensure accredited election observers, media and party agents were present at all levels of result collation.(NAN)
