Rampant acts of electoral fraud may be taking place in the ongoing Kogi governorship election as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has alerted the public and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that agents of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi state and the All Progressives Congress (APC) are threatening and forcing INEC presiding officers, including NYSC members to endorse pre-filled result sheets in favour of the APC in some local government areas even before the conclusion of the poll.
According to a statement signed by the PDP spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan and made available to crimefacts.news the party alleged that the forced endorsement is ongoing in Okene and Okehi Local Government Areas in Kogi Central Senatorial zone, where the governor and the APC are desperate to allocate fictitious votes and fabricate results in their favour.
Given the magnitude of the manipulation as alleged, the PDP urges INEC not to accept any results coming from the Okene and Okehi local government areas as they have already been compromised. Moreover, the PDP and other stakeholders in this election will never accept manipulated results coming from the two local government areas.
The party also calls on security agencies to immediately detail a reinforced team to Okene and Okehi to save the lives of the presiding officers and the NYSC members from the APC and agents of Yahaya Bello.
The statement read in part: “INEC and security officials must take immediate steps to arrest the situation as the development is already causing tension and could lead to the electorate having no option than to resort to self-help to defend their democratic rights.
“We also urge INEC to note that the APC is manipulating the electoral process, causing deliberate delays and swapping of election materials, all in a bid to cause confusion in the process.
“For instance, in Kabba/Bunu Okekoko Ward Unit 9, the polling units have been reduced from two to one, a situation that will lead to disenfranchising of voters to reduce votes belonging to the PDP.
“Also the serial number on the ballot papers brought to the area is different from numbers on ballot papers released in Abuja for the area. Such swapping of ballot papers is a deliberate ploy to cause confusion and derail the electoral process in PDP stronghold.
The PDP therefore urges INEC to immediately correct all the anomalies as every genuine vote cast in the election must be made to count.
