Nelson Ugwuagbo

A civil society organisation, Yiaga Africa, has alerted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on an alleged pre-filled result sheet for Saturday’s governorship election in Kogi State, north-central Nigeria.

Yiaga Africa uploaded a photo of the alleged result sheet on X at 9:20 a.m. on Saturday while voting was just about to start in most of the polling units across the state.

“We received (a) report of (a) pre-filled results sheet discovered in PU 004, Eni Ward of Ogori/magongo in Kogi state before commencement of voting,” the CSO tweeted at INEC.

“Kindly investigate and address this issue promptly to safeguard the integrity of the process,” it added.

The CSO at 9:44 a.m. uploaded a photo of another alleged pre-filled result sheet for the Polling Unit 020, Eika/Ohizenyi, Okehi Local Government Area of Kogi state.

INEC was yet to react to the issue at the time of this report.

A total of 18 candidates are taking part in Saturday’s governorship election in Kogi State.

The gunshots were fired a few meters away from the Central Amaimo school where the PDP candidate, Samuel Anyanwu, is scheduled to vote

There was a mild drama at the Amaimo Registration Centre in Ikeduru LGA of Imo State on Saturday when security officials fired double gunshots into the air to quell an argument.

The gunshots were fired a few meters away from the Central Amaimo school where the PDP governorship candidate, Samuel Anyanwu, is scheduled to vote

The incident happened at about 9.48 a.m. with a few voters already checking their names on the displayed INEC register.

Some voters who did not speak on record say they would want to cast their votes on time and leave because they are not sure what the day will be like.

Apart from Mr Anyanwu, other major candidates in the election are Governor Hope Uzodimna of the APC, Athan Achonu (LP) and Tony Ejiogu (APGA).

Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission deployed to various polling units across Lokoja are currently stranded at the Ajayi Crowther Memorial School.

The officials were at the location to receive electoral materials for the conduct of the November 11 governorship elections in the state.

Among them are corp members and other ad-hoc staff contracted by the commission for the conduct of the election.

Though the officials have received the electoral materials, they are still stranded as no means of transportation to their various polling units was in sight.

An official was heard informing some officials that the only way they could get to their location was if the voters at the polling units arranged transportation for them.

As at the time of filing this report, only three mini buses were on sight to transport over two hundred electoral officials.

Protesting women in Yenagoa the Bayelsa State capital calling for the removal of the Commissioner of Police, CP Tolani Alausa on Friday, were teargased by the police.

The women all clad in black outfits trooped out to counter an earlier protest by a group, styled ‘Concerned Bayelsans’ who took to the street in support of the CP.

The ‘Concerned Bayelsans’ protest led by Preye Agama, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in the state were armed with placards some of which read “IG thank You for Returning Bayelsa Commissioner of Police,” ” With You we are safe, thank you”.

Speaking with newsmen, Agama said they were in support of the Inspector General of Police for bringing back the Police Commissioner, Tolani Alausa who was rumoured to have been redeployed to the force headquarters.

He said: “The government of the day is angry with the CP because he is giving Bayelsans a level playing field to go into a free and fair election.”

But in a counter move, hundreds of women decked in black attire marched to the state police command, demanding the removal of the CP. 

The protesters mainly women, also called on the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to ensure a peaceful poll in the state.

However, police operatives opened fire on the placards and leaf-carrying women chanting ‘we need peace, CP must go,” “Bayelsa, we need peace, no to corruption.”

Hundreds of youths and women from the Muslim community in Plateau State have joined the protests over Court of Appeal judgements which nullified the election of two senators and four other members of the House of Representatives elected under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The protest came on the heels of the massive protests which brought together youths from the 17 local government areas of the state, who barricaded major streets like the Old Airport Junction and Mararaba Jama‘a, demanding the review of the judgements by the Appeal Court.

The youths unanimously described the development as an act of injustice and an attempt to rob the state of the mandate the people gave to the PDP.

The secretary of Hausa/Fulani PDP Forum, Abdulkarim Yaro, called on the National Judicial Council, NJC, to review the Appeal Court judgements which were hinged on a pre-election matter that the Appeal Tribunal does not have the jurisdiction to entertain.

According to Yaro, “We got up to express our displeasure with the recent judgements by the Appeal Court because we know we have been robbed of our mandate. In other states, this issue has been taken as a pre-election matter, but why is the case of Plateau different?

“We from the Muslim community, align our voice with all the groups from Plateau who came out to speak against this injustice, we were to protest but the police said no, so as law-abiding citizens, we have no other option than to obey but we demand that the whole nation should look at Plateau. Why are we treated differently?” he lamented