Delta, Bayelsa and Imo record highest cases of ballot box snatching

Delta State recorded the highest cases of ballot box snatching in Saturday’s National Assembly election, followed by Bayelsa and Imo states, the Independent National Electoral Commission said yesterday.

The chairman of the commission, Attahiru Jega, said the three states topped the chart of incidences of diverted ballot boxes, amongst several other poll malpractices but gave no specific figure.

An official of the commission, however, said the highest number of the violation recorded by Delta State during the relatively well-conducted election was nearly 50.

A spread of detailed statistics of malpractices, including violence, diversion of materials, lateness of officials and materials, during the elections on state-by-state basis was expected from the commission on Monday. Mr. Jega’s spokesperson, Kayode Idowu, later said there were problems with the analysis of the data and the information would be made available Tuesday.

Large-scale malpractice

While addressing international observer teams, including the Commonwealth, African Union and the National Democratic Institute, Mr. Jega said the worst cases of the breaches, were recorded in the three states.

“There were problems with thuggery. Luckily the police have made a number of arrests in fact earlier today I got information that the police have arrested over 500 people, many of them thugs,” he said.

“Delta is a state where we received most cases of ballot box snatching followed by Bayelsa and then followed by Imo states”.

Mr. Jega’s remarks came as a growing number of political parties that lost in the elections, laid complaints to the commission, amid concerns that the overwhelming success of the election generally could deny attention on genuine cases of violations no matter how minute they may appear.

The parties blamed their defeat on large scale rigging by the ruling parties, ballot paper stuffing and box snatching and demanded a rerun and redeployment of INEC staff alleged to have been compromised.

In Bayelsa State where one of the most damning cases of violence was recorded, the opposition parties accused the ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of hijacking electoral materials in connivance with security operatives including the police, the Joint Military Task Force (JTF) and some INEC officials.

The parties, led by the Labour Party (LP) Chairman in the state, Addo Badou, and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) told the electoral commission that elections did not hold in six local government areas of the state. They demanded the immediate removal of the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Edwin Nwatalari, for alleged connivance with the politicians.

‘Cancel the poll’

In Kwara State where the PDP dominated in the election according to results announced, the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) Sunday threatened to contest the results of the elections. Opposition parties have made similar calls in Benue, Adamawa, Rivers and Akwa Ibom states.

There are concerns as to whether new measures including complex ballot paper security, voters waiting behind to defend their votes and a customized ballot box, are enough to deal with intricate electoral fraud scheme which exploits human factor for a compromise.

In the case of Akwa Ibom state where a raging rivalry between ruling PDP and the ACN supporters recently reached violent dimensions, the parties say there abound heaps of questions about the exercise and the commission says they would be investigated when properly tabled before it.

After a startling defeat margin on Saturday, the ACN has been quick to dismiss the outcome of the elections and asked for a repeat as well as the removal of the REC in that state, Maria Owi.

In a detailed petition to Mr. Jega signed by the state chairman, Aniekan Akpan, the party claims many of its agents were chased off from collation centres by paid security agents siding with the ruling party while some corps members were compelled to release surplus ballot papers to the party.

“Unused ballot papers were not returned but were given to PDP members who used palm kernels or bitter kola nuts to print in place of thumbs! What an innovation,” the party said in the letter which spokesperson to Mr. Jega, Kayode Idowu, said he could not confirm whether it had been received as of Monday noon.

In a particular case, in Essien Udim Local Government Area of the state, all registered voters in the state voted for the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), according to the announced results, leaving no allowance for voters who died, travelled, took ill.

By yesterday, INEC headquarters could not confirm the total number of petitions it has received already on the Saturday election.

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I MEAN WHY IS BAYELSA NOT THE HIGHEST THIS WICKED POLITICIANS ARE SO POWER HUNGRY, EVEN AFTER A FREE AND FAIR ELECTION IN BAYELSA STATE THIS MORONS WENT AHEAD TO STEAL BALLOT BOXES AND MANIPULATE THE RESULT , I WAS SO ANGRY WHEN I HEARD THE RESULTS OF THE ELECTIONS WITH PDP AS WINNERS GADAMMIT I PERSONALY REPORTED TO INEC THROUGH A TEXT MESSAGE AND THEY REPLIED TELLING ME MY COMPLAIN HAS BEEN NOTED RUBBISH.

Is this the true definition of GEJs statement : DONT RIG FOR ME?

We re waiting for them in the courts where most of their rigging wil be detected and results upturned.

Obasanjo did more than that bt was disgraced.

We have their tactics at hand, saturday wil be a different ball game.

They av lots of question to answer after the polls.

Buhari 4sure.

LOL! I no fit shout.

We have been saying it for years, but no one wants to listen. You cannot seperate fly from Shiet. Uduaghan cannot survive without being involved in Rigging. The fukker is messed up from head to toe. We cried foul in January, now you have it again. The guy is a born thief / cheat

It is an understatement to say  a significant part of this election was not free and fair.

They are pdp governors,so I'm not surprised at all.
evil party.

I was shouting here during the delta state re-run, no one wanted to listen. There you have it again. That guy is terrible, for birth na im start to tiff. Uduaghan is no good for Delta state, and we must kick him out. I can bet you jega cannot believe the balls on the man, he cheats in January and then again in April.