The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cancelled the results of 11 polling units in Kogi on Saturday, over thuggery and failure of a Presiding Officer (PO) to operate the BVAS correctly.
The results of 10 polling units were cancelled in Ofu Local Government Area (LGA) due to activities of political thugs, and a polling unit in Yagba East LGA due to the ineptness of a Presiding Officer
Dr Alhassan Abdulrahaman, the Collation Officer for Yagba LGA, on Sunday disclosed cancellation in his area while presenting the results to the State Collation Officer, Prof. Wahab Egbewale (SAN), Vice Chancellor, University of Ilorin.
Abdulrahaman had barely finished his presentation when Egbewale asked him whether any result was cancelled in the area and he answered in the affirmative.
“Yes Sir, we do have cause to cancel some results in Yagba East Local Government during last Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.
“At Unit 006 of Ward 10, we have no option but to cancel the results of that particular unit for the simple reason that the PO didn’t know how to operate the BVAS issued to her for the exercise.
“It looks as if she wasn’t trained for the job, because we tried to help her but she couldn’t pick up. We were so amazed.
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“At that point, we had no option than to cancel the results of that very unit,” Abdulrahman explained.
Prof. Abdullahi Musa-Yusuf, Collation Officer (CO) for Ofu LGA of Kogi, while presenting his results, said the results of 10 units had to be cancelled due to activities of political thugs.
Musa-Yusuf said the political thugs invaded the affected units in Itobe and Ayaji wards and packed away the election materials, a situation he said disrupted the election in those units.
He disclosed that more than 6, 600 votes in those units had to be cancelled.
Results of a total of 14 out of 21 Local Government Areas of Kogi were received by the Prof Egbewale-led team at the Kogi Situation Room/Collation Centre, including, Bassa, Idah, Igalamela-Odolu, Umala, Okehi and Olama-Boro.
Dekina, Adavi and Ibaji LGAs, whose results could not tally were asked to go and tidy up and return on Monday to represent theirs.
Egbewale, thereafter, thanked all stakeholders including patties’ agents, security operatives, observers, journalists and INEC officials adjourned the collation to 11. am off Monday, Feb. 27 for continuation.