Isaac Shobayo
The People’s Democratic Party in Plateau State has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to investigate and prosecute all persons involved in the conspiracy, withholding, and manipulation of electoral results and materials in over 30 polling units during the governorship election in Plateau State.
Addressing newsmen in Jos, the state chairman of the PDP, Hon. Chris Hassan, said it is common knowledge that some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, absconded with electoral materials, both sensitive and non-sensitive, and deliberately refused to turn in the results of over 35 polling units for over 48 hours after the close of poll in the Jos North local government area of the state.
He said the acts of criminal conspiracy and sheer electoral brigandage and banditry were premeditated, hatched, calculated, and executed with the collusion, connivance, and funding of some prominent members of the APC.
“The entire state woke up on Sunday, March 19, 2023, to the disconcerting news of the disappearance of 35 polling unit officials and results from Naraguta B Ward of Jos North LGA. The results from these polling units were not uploaded to the INEC result viewing portal, IREV, and the electoral officials for these polling units had absconded as all their phone numbers were reportedly switched off.
“This was confirmed by the collation officer for Naraguta B and the electoral officer for Jos North. According to initial reports and findings, the deliberate delay was calculated and intended to serve as a buffer for the rigging of the gubernatorial result in favour of the candidate of the APC,” he said.
According to him, it took the outcry from the public and deliberate action by INEC and the security agencies before some of the results were released piecemeal and calculated to truncate the entire process, as evident by the sneaky manner in which the results were turned in.
Hon Hassan further added that polling unit results from about 21 polling units were later collated after verification and confirmation according to the clear provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022, adding that this was also evident by the crocodile tears and rants of the APC returning agent at the State Collation Centre, which was roundly nipped in the bud.
He commended the police for the prompt arrest of the Registration Area Technical Officer (RATECH) for the Naraguta B, one Mr Umar Mohammed, who showed up almost 48 hours after the disappearing with 14 BVAS machines with a fairylike tale of his involvement.
Hassan called on the Nigerian Police to go after all the three Adhoc staff members of INEC at the 14 polling units and the 14 police officers attached to these polling units.
He said, “It is clear that there was an active conspiracy amongst all those involved as all the 42 Adhoc staff in the 14 polling units switched off their phones as well as the 14 policemen attached to these polling units.”
“For a proper investigation and prosecution of these electoral offences, all 56 conspirators and collaborators should be arrested and allowed to explain their various roles in the botched attempt to skew and rewrite election results against the popular will and wishes of the people of Plateau State.”
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