…Cited Irregularities, Non-Compliance With Electoral Act, Election Manual
By Ndahi Marama, Maiduguri
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Borno Central senatorial district has outrightly rejected the results of the just concluded presidential and National Assembly elections, citing electoral irregularities and refusal to upload results from the polling units to the BVAS and Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC’s server/portal, based on the 2022 Electoral Act guidelines.
This was disclosed on Tuesday at the NUJ Centre in Maiduguri, during a joint press conference in statement signed by the PDP candidate for Borno Central senatorial district, Barrister Umara Kumalia, and other House of Representatives’ candidates from the eight local government areas in the zone.
Kumalia, who read the statement, was flanked by Babakura Abba, House of Representatives candidate for Maiduguri Metropolitan federal constituency, Ahmad Mohammed Zannah, House of Representatives’ candidate for Dikwa/Mafa/Konduga federal constituency and Abdulrazaq Ahmed Zanna, House of Representatives candidate for Bama/Ngala/Kala Balge federal constituency, while Muhammad Abdallah, House of Representatives candidate for Jere federal constituency was indisposed.
The candidates cited instances where they alleged that the total number of accredited voters for Bama Local Government is about 18,000, while the total number of votes cast is 21,850.
They argued that however, a figure of 22,076 was super imposed over the 18,000 as the total number of accredited voters.
The statement reads,
“Gentlemen of the press, as you are already aware, elections in the eight local governments in Borno Central senatorial district was conducted without following the election guidelines and procedure as outlined in the election manual and the 2023 Electoral Act.
“The eight local governments in Borno central are Maiduguri Metropolitan, Jere, Konduga, Bama, Mafa, Dikwa, Gamboru Ngala and Kala Balge.
“The infractions and manipulations are in respect of the presidential, Senate and House of Representatives elections.
“In all the eight local governments, the use of the BVAS machine was generally disregarded as people were accredited manually without the use of the BVAS machine. There were widespread incidences of over voting across the eight local governments, alteration of result sheets after the elections among others.
“Particulars of infringement:
“1. Maiduguri Metropolitan
“a. There are incidences of over voting in several units across the local government. In particular, Lamisula Jabbamari, Bolori I, Bolori II, Gwange I, II, and III, Shehuri South, Shehuri North, among others.
“b. Result sheets from the units were not uploaded to the INEC server/portal after the elections at the units in accordance with the election guidelines.
“c. Alteration of results of units after completion of elections across the 15 wards of the local government.
“d. Destruction of ballot papers by APC stalwarts
“e. BVAS machine was not used in some polling units.
“f. Elections did not hold in some polling units.
“g. Results of elections in some polling units won by PDP were not entered into the collation sheet at the ward level.
“h. In Maisandri ward, at about 2am this morning (Tuesday), all the agents were chased out of the collation center after collating about 120 out of 200 units, where PDP was leading comfortably and the results were manipulated and doctored to favour the APC candidates.
“2. Jere
“Results of several units in several wards have been altered and changed after completion of voting in about six (6) out of 12 wards. The results that were altered are in respect of the presidential, Senate and House of Representatives elections.
“The affected wards are:
“1. Old Maiduguri Ward
2. Mashamari Ward
3. Mairi Ward
4. Maimusari Ward
5. Ngomari Ward
6. Bale Galtimari ward
“The tampering of the results is obvious as there are a lot of cancellations and alterations in the Form EC 8B of the affected wards. For clarity, the results of the polling units are different from the results recorded on Form EC 8B in a number of the units in the aforementioned wards.
“3. Bama:
“a. There was overvoting in the final result of the local government in respect of the presidential, Senate and House of Representatives elections. A case in point is the senatorial election, where the total number of accredited voters is less than the total number of votes cast (both valid and invalid votes).
“The total number of accredited voters for Bama Local Government is about 18,000, while the total number of votes cast is 21,850. However, a figure of 22,076 was super imposed over the 18,000 as the total number of accredited voters.
“Unfortunately for the manipulators, the figure of 18,000 is still visible despite the super imposition of an increased figure of 22,076.
“b. There was voting without accreditation using the BVAS machine for the purpose of accreditation contrary to the election guidelines.
“c. Scores on result sheets were altered and the amendments are obvious as the old figures and the newly super imposed figure are both visible in many instances. New figures are super imposed on the old figures either to increase the votes received by APC or to increase the total number of accredited voters to justify the inflated votes that has been allocated to the APC.
“4. Dikwa
“a. Elections were conducted without the use of the BVAS machine in most places and ballot papers were thumb printed indiscriminately.
“b. All party agents were chased away by security forces except those of the APC for the APC to do whatever they wanted.
“c. Some units did not have BVAS machines and even where present, the machines did not work and results were turned in for these places.
“5. Mafa
“a. Elections did take place in Maf’a, Mafa Central, Zangebe and Laje wards, but results were turned up for these wards.
“b. BVAS machines were not used in the conduct of the elections in several units across the wards.
“c. In Tansuwu Ngamduwa ward, there are three units (22 maternity unit, Kaleri transformer and Zannari II) elections took place but the results were not recorded because PDP won those units.
“6. Konduga:
“a. There was no use of BVAs machine in a number of units across all the wards in Konduga Local Government. Incidences of manual voting was widespread.
“b. Party agents were chased away from the polling units and results were recorded arbitrarily in favour of the APC.
“C. Invalid votes were recorded in favour of APC in several units across the wards.
“7. Ngala:
“a. No use of BVAS machine for accreditation
“b. About 6,000 fake votes were added to the APC votes for presidential, Senate and House of Representatives seats
“c. There was over voting in a number of polling units across the local government.
“d. There was voter intimidation and harassment
“8. Kala Balge:
“a. There was no use of the BVAS machine throughout the 10 wards of the local government.
“b. People without voter’s cards were allowed to vote.
“c. Those with temporary voter’s cards were allowed to vote contrary to the electoral guidelines
“d. There was open use of US Dollar bills by the APC officials to bribe INEC officials to manipulate the results.
“e. Even the manipulated results at the units were not uploaded on the INEC portal
“f. There was over voting in several units across the 10 wards of the local government.
“d. At the collation centers, all agents of the PDP were chased away by the Army personnel for the INEC and APC officials to write whatever result that they wanted.
“Our prayer:
“We call on the Borno State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, and the collation and returning officers for the presidential, Senate and House of Representative seats within Borno Central senatorial district to cancel the elections in all the eight local government in respect of the presidential, Senate and House of Representatives for Maiduguri, Jere, Dikwa, Mafa and Konduga as well as Bama, Ngala and Kala Balge Federal constituencies, as the elections has failed to meet the minimum requirements of the election guidelines, the Election Manual as well as the Electoral Act, 2023.”
