The Borno central senatorial candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mohammed Umara Kumalia, has called on the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) and the coalition and returning officers for the Presidential and House of Representatives seats to cancel the elections in eight local Councils.
The State’s central senatorial district comprises Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC), Jere, Bama, Konduga, Kala/Balge, Dikwa, Mafa and Gambouru/Ngala local Councils. Kumalia made the call, yesterday (Tuesday), at a news conference held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) press centre, Maiduguri.
Unveiling the cancellations of elections, he said: “The elections in the eight local councils were conducted without following the election guidelines and procedures; outlined in the election manual and the 2022 Electoral Act.”
He lamented the “infractions and manipulations” of the Presidential and National Assembly elections in the senatorial district of the state.
The four other PDP candidates include Babakura Abba Yusuf, representing Maiduguri Metropolitan Council (MMC) federal constituency, Ahmed Mohammed Zannah, representing Dikwa/Mafa/Konduga federal constituency, Abudulrazaq Ahmed Zannah, representing Bama/Ngala/Kala-Balge federal constituency.
Besides, he added that the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines was generally disregarded by the electoral officials.
“The voters at the polling units were accredited manually without the use of the BVAS machines,” he said.
He alleged that there were widespread incidences of over voting across the eight local governments.
According to him, there were also alterations of election result sheets after the elections among others.
On the alleged electoral malpractices, he disclosed: “There are incidences of over voting in several units across the local government,” including Lamisula Jabbamari, Bolori I, Bolori II, Gwange I, II, and III, Shehuri South, Shehuri North polling units.
He added that result sheets from the polling units were not uploaded to the INEC server/portal after the elections and in accordance with the election guidelines.
“There was alteration of results of units after completion of elections across the 15 wards of the local Council,” he said. Other alleged electoral malpractice included the destruction of ballot papers by the All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwarts and the non-hold of elections in some polling units.
He further alleged that; “Results of elections in some polling units won by PDP were not entered into the collation sheet at the ward level.”
He said in Maisandari ward, at about 2 a.m on Tuesday, all the agents were chased out of the collation center after collating about 120 out of the 200 units where PDP was leading comfortably.
According to him, the election results were, however, manipulated and doctored to favour the APC candidates.
