By; ADAMA JOHN, Lokoja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Monday cancelled results of 74 polling units covering six local government areas of Kogi state occasioned by thuggery and failed BVAS that characterised Saturday’s polls.
The councils include: Okehi, Omala, Olamaboro, Ofu, Yagba East and Ibaji out of several others that suffered similar fate.
The most affected of all is Okehi council that witnessed unprecedented excavation of roads by the state government few days to the election to ward off criminal elements from gaining access to the area.
Emeka Oguju, Okehi collation officer, while presenting the results to the state Collation Officer, Wahab Egbewale, at the Kogi collation centre, said results of 31 polling units were cancelled due to thuggery.
Oguju said 12, 037 votes were cancelled in the 31 polling units in four wards, which voting materials were carted away by miscreants believed to be political thugs.
“In most affected polling units there were violence caused by political thugs, who invaded the units and disrupted the entire process, ” he said.
L. Adang, the collation officer for Omala Local Government Area told the state collation officer at the Situation Room at INEC state office, that 16 wards were affected by thuggery during the exercise.
According to him, 9,558 votes were cancelled in the affected polling units of the area.
Also presenting his results, Adamu Wakili, collation officer for Olamaboro council, disclosed that 3,582 votes in five polling units were cancelled due to thuggery and non-functional BVAS during the general election of Saturday.
“Aside the activities of political thugs that affected the election in our area, we had an issue with two BVAS which couldn’t function because of the remoteness of the community it was taken to and ineptness of the presiding officer.
“We tried to see whether it could work, but we could’t and only five units in that community were affected. We have reported that to the REC,” he said.
Also, Ibaji council’s collation officer, Dauda Tanko, said results of 11 polling units were cancelled in the area as a result of thuggery.
Tanko, who did not specify the number of votes affected by the cancellation, said four registration areas were affected by the activities of political thugs.
It was gathered that the cancellation of results of 11 polling units in Ofu and Yagba East councils of Kogi were equally due to the ubiquitous activities of political thugs and failed BVAS.
