Oases News - #NigeriaDecides Elections Marred As Terrorists, ‘Soldiers’ Beat-up People, Snatch Ballots, Rigging For PDP

Protests are currently ongoing in Ibiono Ibom Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State against the hijacking of materials by armed thugs of the Peoples Democratic Party (see photo).

A serving Senator from the area who is the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules and Business, Mr. Ita Enang, has complained bitterly over the situation. This is despite the denial by INEC that no such incident has taken place.

In Ibesikpo Asutan Local Government Area, the rigging was so bad that materials were carted away even in the polling unit of the former Governor of the State, Victor Attah.

In Wards 3 and 4, Oruk Anam Local Government Area, election materials have been carted away by thugs led by Emmanuel Kokoette, a serving member of the House of Representatives.

In Essien Udim Local Government Area where the State governor hails from, the situation is very deadly as armed thugs went about chasing away supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In Ikot Ntuen village 001, Asan Ward 1, Nsit Ibom Local Government Area armed policemen attempted to hijack materials but were resisted by youths in the area.

The situation is very volatile in the State and violence has already been recorded. Reports shows that massive rigging in ongoing in most parts of the State with casualties recorded.

During the Presidential and National Assembly elections that took place on March 28, 2015, there were numerous cases of Card Readers failure and as a result, the elections could not hold on time and in some areas ended on Sunday March 29 as Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had to resort to manual accreditation. Dadin Kowa and the entire Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State were not exempted from this situation.

The situation is entirely different in the gubernatorial and State House of Assembly election as all the Card Readers in the seven (7) Polling Units under my watch in Dadin Kowa area of Jos South were all working perfectly as accreditations of voters were done without any failure of Card Reader recorded.

One of the accredited voters who gave his name as Musa said that he is very happy that INEC identified and fixed the problem the Card Readers had during the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

He said that if the usage of Card Readers continues in subsequent elections, it will seriously reduce the level of rigging.

The contacts I made from other polling Units in Bukuru market, Bukuru express, Bukuru low-cost, Old Airport Junction, Anglo Jos, Rayfield, New Abuja, Kangang, Rantya and Zaramanganda all in Jos South show that there have been Ninety percent (90%) success in the Card reader accreditations as many voters waited patiently to cast their vote which has commenced.