Kogi Governorship: INEC Declares 30 Staff Missing

No fewer than thirty staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have been declared missing after the governorship election that was held on Saturday, November 16, in Kogi state. 

INEC said the missing ad-hoc staff were those posted to different polling units in Olamaboro Local Government Area (LGA).

The 30 adhoc staff, which include members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), were declared missing at about 1 a.m. on Sunday.

The missing INEC staff include Presiding Officers (POs) and Assistant Presiding Officers (APOs) of polling units in Imane ward 1 and 2 of Olamaboro LGA of Kogi State.

The election officer in-charge of collating and announcing results in the LGA, Garba Mahmood, who made the announcement, also declared results from the polling units they covered missing.

Below are the list of the missing staff as provided by INEC and the police at the Olamaboro collation centre.

Olamaboro III

Unit 002

(1) Oladipo Victor

(2) Achimi Samson P-08136653704

(3) Umar Faruk Sani-08032745663

(4) Adama Ibrahim

Unit 006

(1) Abayomi Roseline E.

(2) Onuche Abel E

(3) Onojah Emmanuel

(4) Umoru Mariam-

Unit 013

(1) Effiong Akwaowo-Ukpe

(2) Mattew Agada

(3) Samuel Ibrahim

(4) Sado Bello

Unit 006

(1) Nzeofia Kingsley- Presiding Officer (PO)

(2) Hassan Musa- Assistant Presiding Officer 1 (APO 1)

(3) Ekele Michael – Assistant Presiding Officer 2(APO 2)

(4) Ahmed Mattew – Assistant Presiding Officer 3(APO 3 )

Unit 012 

(1) Ovioawho Omonefe B.- Presiding Officer (PO)

(2) Baba Eric -Assistant Presiding Officer 1 (APO 1)

(3) Gabriel Samuel Assistant Presiding Officer 2 (APO 2)

Unit 015

(1) Nwafor Emmanuel- Presiding Officer (PO)

(2) Agada Ochegeugwa- Assistant Presiding Officer 1(APO 1)

(3) Ojih Martina- Assistant Presiding Officer 2(APO 2)

Unit 016 

(1) Ezugwu Stanley- Presiding Officer (PO)

(2) Mohammed Abdullahi- Assistant Presiding Officer 1(APO 1)

(3) Mohammed Ibrahim- Assistant Presiding Officer 2(APO 2)

(4) Adejoh Joy- Assistant Presiding Officer 3(APO 3)

Unit 022 

(1) Adebisi Comfort – Presiding Officer (PO)

(2) Yusuf Sofiat- Assistant Presiding Officer 1(APO 1)

(3) Onoja Alice- Assistant Presiding Officer 2(APO 2)

(4) Onuche Vincent- Assistant Presiding Officer 3(APO 3)

Meanwhile, there were several reports of violence, ballot box snatching, intimidation of voters and vote buying during the Kogi governorship election on Saturday. 

The election is seen as a battle mainly between incumbent Governor Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress  (APC) and Musa Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), even though a total of 24 candidates contested in the governorship poll.