Kogi Tribunal Update: ACN Witnesses Allege Ballot Box Stuffing with Video Evidences

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Witnesses of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) have flooded the Kogi Governorship Election Tribunal with torn clothes and video clips to prove massive rigging and violence during the last December 3 governorship election.

Seventy-one witnesses have testified for the ACN in the petition filed by Prince Abubakar Audu, the party’s standard bearer, who is challenging the victory of Captain Idris Wada.

About 30 witnesses under cross-examination last Thursday, Friday and Saturday alleged that PDP agents terrorised some polling units, intimidated voters and assaulted ACN agents, tearing their clothes.

The witnesses who testified, alleged electoral fraud in the election, saying that already thumb printed ballot papers stuffed in ballot boxes were brought to the polling units while there was also intimidation and threats of the electorate.

One of the witnesses, Ali Okpanachi from Sabon-Gari Ward 1 Unit 001, alleged that money was brought in Ghana-Must-Go bag and distributed openly to the people at the polling unit by PDP chieftains to influence them.

“Before God and man, they shared money on queue and each electorate after casting his vote was given a sign to go to certain location where it would be confirmed whether he voted for PDP for him to be given additional money.”

ACN ward supervisor for Bagana in Omala Local Government, Danladi Sunday, presented a clip of video recordings, allegedly, showing PDP agents thumb printing ballot papers in a secret house.

He averred that when he got wind of the alleged rigging, he went to the place with his phone and recorded the illegal thumb printing through the window unnoticed.

Another witness, Ward Supervisor for Odo-Ere in Yagba/ West, Oluwasesan Fabiyi, told the tribunal that  an ACN lady agent was beaten up while another one was chased away from the ward collation centre for refusing to sign the forms.

Similarly, Supervisor for Oke-Egbe 3, Ward 10, Mr Henry Aina came to the tribunal with his torn suit, alleging that he was beaten and wounded by agents of the ruling party.

Another witness and supervisor for Odo-Ere ward 3 equally in Yagba/West, Tayo Taiwo who also brought his torn shirt and trousers, alleged that during the voting, PDP agents collected the ballot papers from the corps members and started thumb printing for the ruling party.

Another witness, Salihu Idris of Jegu-Egba told the tribunal that no proper election took place in the three units of the village in Kogi Local Government but results were collated and announced “by rigging and PDP was also declared by rigging.”

Most of the witnesses alleged that they had to sign the INEC Form EC8B containing the results after collation at the ward centre, Okpanachi, to enable them collect a copy of the result, adding that they made verbal complaints to security agents who shunned them


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