#NigeriaDecides2023: INEC Cancels Results Of 74 Polling Units In Kogi State

The results of 74 polling units within six local government areas of Kogi State have been cancelled.

Naija News learnt that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said the cancellation of the results was warranted because of pockets of violent incidents like thuggery and failed BVAS in Saturday’s polls.

According to the commission, the affected LGAs include Okehi, Umala, Ulama-Boro, Ofu, Yagba East and Ibaji,

However, it was learnt that the most affected LGA was the Okehi LGA, where 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.

The Collation Officer for the Okehi LGA, Emeka Oguju while presenting his result told the State Collation Officer, Prof. Wahab Egbewale at the Kogi Collation Centre that the results of 31 polling units were cancelled due to thuggery.

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

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

Giving his own account, the Collation Officer for Umala LGA, Dr L. Adang was also reported to have said to the State Collation Officer in 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, the Collation Officer for Olamaboro LGA, Dr Adamu Wakili, 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 from 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 added.

The 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, but doesn’t give the number of votes affected.