An Abuja-based middle-aged man, who identified himself as Mustapha, has narrated how he uncovered a heap of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC’s sensitive materials, comprising results and declaration sheets meant for Gombe and Kwara State.
In a viral video, Mustapha displayed some yet-to-be-filled sensitive materials littered close to the refuse site, around Jikwoyi area in Karu Amac municipality of the Federal Capital Territory.
No fewer than seven candidates with seven political parties, which include Dogo Bukar, Action Alliance; Nijhu Jonathan, African Democratic Congress; Golkos Gaius All Progressives Congress; Abubakar Ibrahim, New Nigeria Peoples Party; Markus Samuel Peoples Democratic Party; Abdulaziz Saudi Social Democratic Party, and Stephen Nerus, Young Progressives Party, were among those discovered from the empty declaration of result sheet sighted.
During a telephone interview with PUNCH, Mustapha said that his daughter picked some pieces of paper on her way back from school and, upon scrutiny, he discovered that they were sensitive INEC materials.
He disclosed that immediately, he asked his daughter to lead him there but before he arrived at the dump scene, the materials had been picked up by unidentified persons.
Mustapha said, “These papers were dumped around Jikwoyi area and it was discovered by my daughter who brought me there on my instruction, having seen pieces of the sensitive materials she picked from her pathway. When I discovered that they were electoral documents for past elections (National Assembly/Presidential), and for the yet-to-be-conducted elections (House of Assembly/Gubernatorial).
“Why I picked interest was when I saw one of the forms bearing Gombe, especially the candidate of Pero Chonge constituency, Markus Samuel. But before we could get there, the heap of documents which was previously dropped in sacks had been moved by unknown persons.”
Mohorret Bigun, Public Affairs Officer in the Gombe INEC office, when contacted, said it was most unlikely for the House of Assembly to be tampered with, stressing that the size of the constituency reduces margin of possible error.
He said, “Well, I can see a duplicate with names of candidates. Someone might have printed that with the aim of using it during the election. However, results are generated from polling units, and for State Assemblies, the Constituency is usually smaller, which reduces the margin of error also. I don’t see anyone just writing results. Who will announce it? Remember, declaring false results attracts a sentence according to the Electoral Act 2022.”
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