The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Monday, March 20, 2023, postponed the collation of the governorship election results from Local Government Areas, LGAs, until noon.
Professor Mohammed Mele, the state collation officer, and Yakubu Ari, the Adamawa Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, announced this on Monday after collating results from 20 out of the 21 LGAs.
The exercise was postponed to enable verification of the results from the Fufore Local Government Area, which were snatched.
Shortly before the shift, two agents of the leading parties in the governorship election, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and All Progressives Congress, APC, urged INEC to ensure justice in collating the results before the declaration.
NAN reports that security agencies were also deployed to major roads in the state capital to ensure security following a protest by some political thugs in the metropolis after the adjournment.
The road to the INEC office had also been cordoned off from Gate II of the Jimeta modern market to the fire service roundabout.
INEC Blacklists 100 Ad Hoc Staff Over Electoral Malpractices In Akwa Ibom
Cyril Omorogbe, the INEC resident Electoral commissioner in Akwa Ibom, says the commission has delisted 100 ad hoc staff in the state over alleged involvement in election malpractices.
Omorogbe made the disclosure in an interview with journalists in Uyo on Thursday, March 16, 2023.
He said the affected ad hoc staff were found culpable of electoral malpractices during the Presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.
”We blacklisted them, we will not use them during the Governorship and House of Assembly elections on Saturday,” he said.
The resident electoral commissioner said the commission had started distributing sensitive materials to Local Government Areas of the state ahead of the Saturday elections.
Omorogbe said that all arrangements had been made to ensure the early arrival of materials and personnel for the polls.
”We have made adequate preparations to ensure that materials and personnel do not arrive late at polling units.
”We are aware of the complaints raised during the presidential and national assembly elections, we do not want that to repeat itself,” he said.
He said the commission had made arrangements for backup vehicles in the event of a sudden breakdown of any utility vehicle.
”This arrangement is to ensure that materials and personnel are conveyed to polling units without delay.
”I can assure you that the challenges we faced during the last elections won’t be repeated,” he said.
He said the commission was collaborating with security agencies to ensure improved security during the exercise.
Again, PDP Calls For The Resignation And Arrest Of INEC Chairman Yakubu
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has called for the resignation, arrest, and investigation of the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu over alleged manipulation of the February 25 presidential election result.
In a keen contest, PDP presidential candidate and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar lost to Bola Tinubu of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC. While Atiku polled 6,984,520 votes to come second in the race, Tinubu came out top in 12 of Nigeria’s 36 states and secured significant numbers in several other states to claim the highest number of votes — 8,794,726.
Mr Peter Obi, the candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Peter Obi, who, in less than a year, galvanised young voters in a manner some have described as unprecedented finished the race with 6,101,533.
Both Atiku and Obi have rejected the outcome of the election, vowing to challenge the result in court.
Speaking during a press conference on Friday, March 10, 2023, in Abuja, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Mr Debo Ologunagba, alleged that the election results were mutilated, as the commission deliberately refused to transmit polling units results as provided by the Electoral Act.
He maintained that the INEC chairman’s exit would be the first step to rebuilding confidence in the electoral body.
Ologunagba also asked the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, the Department of State Services, DSS, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, INEC, to commence an investigation of the INEC Chairman.
