HoA Election: INEC announced result under duress at Yagba West constituency in Kogi

Yekini Jimoh Lokoja

The returning officer for Yagba West State Constituency was said to have announced the election result of Yagba West State Constituency under duress to escape for her life.

Speaking with newsmen on Sunday,  Mrs. Janet Daudu, Director General Campaign of Hon. Yemisi Oshaloto, said the result announced was done by the Returning Officer in a bid to escape for her life following threats from alleged ADC thugs.

The Campaign DG said that the Returning Officer had no choice but to announce the result of the Assembly Election held on Saturday when collation was ongoing, with voting on in some polling units in two Wards.

According to the Campaign DG, the driver of the returning officer was stabbed several times in the head, while others are also currently receiving treatment in the hospital.

She said, on the eve of the election, the thugs had visited all collation centres, threatening to burn down the facilities and those of some APC leaders like the Senator-Elect, the Council Chairman, and the APC candidate, amongst others, if the ADC candidate is not allowed and declared the winner in the election.

She disclosed that thugs were imported from Ekiti State, loaded in four buses, stormed the collation centre, held everybody hostage for hours, and threatened to kill everyone inside. This threat forced the INEC returning officer for Yagba West to announce the result.

According to the Campaign DG of the Candidate of the All Progressives Congress, the returning officer was held hostage for hours, and had to wee in a bucket for about four times before rescue came her way, as no one was allowed to go in and out of the collation centre.

Speaking on the development, the DG Campaign said thugs were imported by the ADC candidate to hijack the election results, destroyed ballot papers in the APC candidate’s stronghold, and forced the returning officer to announce the result.

The APC called the authorities of the Independent National Electoral Commission to ascertain the level of violence by the thugs, who held guns and charms, and threatened to kill and maim the INEC returning officer, insisting that the results declared were done under duress.

But in a swift reaction, an ADC Chieftain and supporter of the party‘s Flagbearer, who would not want to be mentioned, described the allegations as false and said the election was clean and clear.