BREAKING: ‘Presiding Officers Were Forced To Alter Results’ — Yiaga Africa Confirms THE WHISTLER Report On Abia Guber

…Accuses APC-Affiliated Thugs Of Disrupting Lagos Governorship Election

Frontline civic hub, Yiaga Africa, has disclosed that its observers reported alleged manipulation of governorship election results by the agents of the People’s Democratic party in one of the Local Government Areas in Abia state.

A board member of Yiaga Africa, Ezenwa Nwagwu, disclosed this on Sunday in Abuja during the group’s ‘Watch The Vote’ post-election press conference on the governorship and state assembly elections.

According to Yiaga Africa, PDP agents in connivance with security agents allegedly entered Obingwa LGA results collation centre in Abia state, chased everyone out and compelled INEC officials to change figures in favour of its candidates.

“In Abia State, Obingwa LGA results collation centre, party agents for the PDP and security agents asked observers and other party agents, APC, Accord and APGA to exit the collation centre.

“Presiding officers were also forced to alter the figures on form EC8A in favour of the PDP.

“The PDP agent was making a call and stated that he intends to bribe the officers at the collation centre with N100,000. The PDP agent were also delegating their personnel to sign on behalf of other party agents after manipulating the results,” he said.

The group observed that the governorship and state assembly elections were signposted by voter suppression , electoral violence and impunity, vote buying and capture of the results management system by political thugs in Delta, Lagos, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Kano and Taraba states.

“Yiaga Africa is saddened by cases of attacks of voters, INEC officials, election observers and personnel of the EFCC by political thugs.

“Reports also indicated an average of 8 fatalities were recorded in the last 24 hours. These election-related deaths are unacceptable, highly condemnable. It is important for security agents to hold the political thugs and their sponsors accountable for these deaths and attacks.

“Yiaga Africa condemns in unequivocal terms , voter suppression fueled by ethnic profiling, political thuggery and desperation to secure electoral victory at all cost.

“Registered voters and fellow citizens were denied the opportunity to vote in some states. Voting is constitutional rights of every Nigeria,” he said, adding that voter inducement was reported across the country.

Yiaga Africa also said that there were critical incidents including situations were political thugs had their way.

“Observers reported that election materials for Ward 10, Unit 2 in Enwoha LGA of Rivers state were hijacked at gunpoint by thugs.

“The bus conveying the materials and personnel was also hijacked.

“Our Watching The Vote observers in Oshodi/Isolo LGA, Lagos State reported armed thugs affiliated with the APC, shooting sporadically which disrupted the process in two polling units located in Okota Grammar School and five polling unit in Isolo community. This resulted in the process being suspended.

“Political thugs numbering about 50 attacked the polling units in Warri South LGA of Delta State and disrupted the voting process as they hunted for party agents and observers,” he added.

“Security agents were unprofessional and partisan in 26 polling units observed while polling officials were unprofessional and partisan in 21 polling units observed,” Yiaga stated.

The group maintained that while the Independent National Electoral Commission is the only body constitutionally mandated to announce election results, it will verify it with its own data after the polls has been concluded.

Yiaga commended INEC for early commencement of voting in significant number polling units it observed across the nation.

THE WHISTLER earlier reported that thugs invaded the collation centre in Abia state.