Bello, APC forcing INEC staff to sign filled results sheets, PDP alleges

THE Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said suspected agents of the Kogi State governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were forcing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presiding officers, and National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members to endorse prefilled results sheets in favour of the APC in some local government areas of the state during Saturday’s election.

PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, in a statement, said the electoral offence occurred in Okene and Okehi local government areas in Kogi Central Senatorial zone.

He alleged that the governor and the APC were desperate to allocate fictitious votes and fabricate results in their favour in the areas.

“Given the magnitude of the manipulation, the PDP urges INEC not to accept any results coming from the Okene and Okehi local government areas, as they have already been compromised.

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“Moreover, the PDP and other stakeholders in this election will never accept manipulated results coming from the two local government areas. The party also calls on security agencies to immediately send teams to Okene and Okehi to save the lives of the presiding officers and the NYSC members from the APC and agents of Yahaya Bello.

“INEC and security officials must take immediate steps to arrest the situation, as the development is already causing tension and could lead to the electorate having no option than to resort to self-help to defend their democratic rights,” he said.

Ologbondiyan also urged INEC to note that the APC was manipulating the electoral process, causing deliberate delays and swapping of election materials, all in a bid to cause confusion in the process.

He said: “For instance, in Kabba/Bunu Okekoko Ward, Unit 9, the units have been reduced from two to one, a situation that will lead to disenfranchising of voters to reduce votes belonging to the PDP.

“Also, the serial number on the ballot papers brought to the area is different from numbers on ballot papers released in Abuja for the area. Such swapping of ballot papers is a deliberate ploy to cause confusion and derail the electoral process in PDP strongholds.”