INEC cancels results of 74 polling units in Kogi

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Monday cancelled the results of 74 polling units in six local government areas of Kogi State over thuggery and failed BVAS that characterised Saturday’s polls.

The LGAs involved include Okehi, Umala, Ulama-Boro, Ofu, Yagba East and Ibaji.

The most affected was Okehi LGA, which the state government had dug some of its roads, a few days before the election, to ward off criminal elements from gaining access to the area.

Dr Emeka Oguju, Okehi Collation Officer, while presenting the results to the State Collation Officer, Prof. Wahab Egbewale at the Kogi Collation Centre, said the results of 31 polling units were cancelled due to thuggery.

Ogujo said that 12, 037 votes were cancelled in the 31 polling units in four wards, in which voting materials were carted away by political thugs.

“In most affected polling units there was violence caused by political thugs, who invaded the units and disrupted the entire process,” he lamented.

Dr L. Adang, the Collation Officer for Umala Local Government Area, told the State Collation Officer at the Situation Room at INEC State Office, that 16 wards were affected by thuggery during the exercise.

According to him, 9,558 votes were cancelled in the affected polling units of the area.

Also presenting his results, Dr Adamu Wakili, Collation Officer for Olamaboro LGA, disclosed that 3, 582 votes in five polling units were cancelled due to thuggery and non-functional BVAS during the general elections of Saturday.

“Aside the activities of political thugs that affected the election in our area, we had an issue with two BVAS which couldn’t function because of the remoteness of the community it was taken to and the ineptness of the Presiding Officer.

“We tried to see whether it could work, but we couldn’t and only five units in that community were affected. We have reported that to the REC, ” he said.

Also, Ibaji LGA Collation Officer, Prof Dauda Tanko, said that the results of 11 polling units were cancelled in the area as a result of thuggery.

Tanko, who did not specify the number of votes affected by the cancellation, said four Registration Areas were affected by the activities of political thugs.