FCT Council Election: No INEC Staff At Dawaki 1, 2 As Voters Allege Rigging

Four polling units located at Dawaki One visited by THE WHISTLER on Saturday morning saw no sign of the voting exercise.

There were no officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC or materials by 08:30 when our correspondent visited.

Voters who turned up at the polling units could not verify their names as the polling units were not marked as the Commission usually does ahead of voting exercise.

Voters could not identify the number of each polling units but they said voting exercise had taken place in the units in the last three elections.

“We have voted here in the last three elections. When you see signs like this, it’s preparation for rigging,” a voter who refused to identify himself said.

At the Polling Unit 004, Dawaki Two, Ground Square, Hill Side Estate with voters up to 500, no INEC official or material for voting had arrived.

The unit too was not marked when our correspondent visited by 07:45am and left at about 08:23am.

When our correspondent visited again at 09:20am and left 09:55am, there was still no sign of voting.

But two People’s Democratic Party’s agents were seen sitting down and waiting for the arrival of INEC officials and materials.

One polling unit security agent joined the PDP agent in waiting.

Only three voters turned up one after another and left with no INEC staff and materials for voting.

According to a voter who identified himself as Luka, absence of INEC officials and voting material is a recipe for “rigging. They just simply want to rig or else how does one explain why there’s no INEC staff with materials here.

“This polling unit used to be full of people. It’s a polling unit with over 500 voters.

“Unfortunately, they want to disenfranchise us.”

Asked why voters haven’t turned up if they were interested in voting, he said, “When they see INEC staff and banner, words will go round and people will turn up.

“People are watching from their houses. You can see upstairs around. People are peeping through the windows. It’s always the case, that within minutes, you will see crowd here,” he said.