I want to tell a story. It isn’t a pleasant story to some, but I call it an exposition, to let people know how elections are won and lost in Nigeria.

In 2011, as an undergraduate student, I volunteered to work as an ad-hoc staff member for INEC during the presidential elections. It was a volatile period, but for me an adventure. I wanted to understand how elections in Nigeria are won or rigged and thought it was a risk worth taking. I remember keeping it from my family because my parents would have opposed it outright. I was posted to a village in Giwa local government of Kaduna State.

Everything was going well on election day. We were a team of three. Two ladies and me. One of the ladies was a serving corps member. I really can’t remember the details of the third colleague. Inadvertently, I ended up as the leader of the team. People were orderly and casted their votes on time. The police escort was also friendly, although he only had a baton to protect us. After waiting for a while with no new voters turning up, we started packing up to count the votes publicly, and then return to the local government collation centre. That was when trouble started.

With very sharp machetes flashing in our faces, I was forced to hand over the remaining ballot papers to the villagers. We were told the ballot papers belonged to the polling unit and must be used up. We had no right to take away unused ballot papers. In that moment of need, the policeman was nowhere to be found. It simply wasn’t in our hands, and I had to play along to stay safe. PDP and CPC agents simply shared the ballot papers amongst themselves and returned thumb printed papers. Under the watchful eyes of the the machete wielding youths, we counted the ballot papers, declared CPC winners by a thin margin, and quickly packed the election materials into a waiting Peugeot J5 vehicle. I escorted my colleagues, the ladies, into the vehicle and was going to enter the vehicle myself when violence suddenly erupted. I still cannot explain the cause of the violence even today. It was totally for no reason. They started chasing me with machetes. Adrenaline set in.

In fear, the driver started driving away and I was forced to chase the vehicle with machetes on my heels. It was either I got to the vehicle or lose my life. The ladies were screaming at the driver to stop for me. I held on to the door on the passenger’s side while the vehicle was moving until the vehicle slowed down enough for me to enter. The vehicle was chased by machete-wielding youths until the assailants gave up. We got to the local government collation centre where another drama was waiting for us. I will share that story on a different day.

You see, this is how many elections are won and lost. When these ballot papers are shared in the hinterlands, would LP be sitting at the table? Would there be someone speaking up for Peter Obi, or would APC and PDP simply share the ballot papers?

“Obi dients”, the odds are not in your favour today.

Oga disembark from all this cappings ,
This one no mean anything
Na rubbish u type like this

Donfox2:


I want to tell a story. It isn’t a pleasant story to some, but I call it an exposition, to let people know how elections are won and lost in Nigeria.

In 2011, as an undergraduate student, I volunteered to work as an ad-hoc staff member for INEC during the presidential elections. It was a volatile period, but for me an adventure. I wanted to understand how elections in Nigeria are won or rigged and thought it was a risk worth taking. I remember keeping it from my family because my parents would have opposed it outright. I was posted to a village in Giwa local government of Kaduna State.

Everything was going well on election day. We were a team of three. Two ladies and me. One of the ladies was a serving corps member. I really can’t remember the details of the third colleague. Inadvertently, I ended up as the leader of the team. People were orderly and casted their votes on time. The police escort was also friendly, although he only had a baton to protect us. After waiting for a while with no new voters turning up, we started packing up to count the votes publicly, and then return to the local government collation centre. That was when trouble started.

With very sharp machetes flashing in our faces, I was forced to hand over the remaining ballot papers to the villagers. We were told the ballot papers belonged to the polling unit and must be used up. We had no right to take away unused ballot papers. In that moment of need, the policeman was nowhere to be found. It simply wasn’t in our hands, and I had to play along to stay safe. PDP and CPC agents simply shared the ballot papers amongst themselves and returned thumb printed papers. Under the watchful eyes of the the machete wielding youths, we counted the ballot papers, declared CPC winners by a thin margin, and quickly packed the election materials into a waiting Peugeot J5 vehicle. I escorted my colleagues, the ladies, into the vehicle and was going to enter the vehicle myself when violence suddenly erupted. I still cannot explain the cause of the violence even today. It was totally for no reason. They started chasing me with machetes. Adrenaline set in.

In fear, the driver started driving away and I was forced to chase the vehicle with machetes on my heels. It was either I got to the vehicle or lose my life. The ladies were screaming at the driver to stop for me. I held on to the door on the passenger’s side while the vehicle was moving until the vehicle slowed down enough for me to enter. The vehicle was chased by machete-wielding youths until the assailants gave up. We got to the local government collation centre where another drama was waiting for us. I will share that story on a different day.

You see, this is how many elections are won and lost. When these ballot papers are shared in the hinterlands, would LP be sitting at the table? Would there be someone speaking up for Peter Obi, or would APC and PDP simply share the ballot papers?

“Obi dients”, the odds are not in your favour today.

Don't worry about that. We all know this and everyone will rig in their stronghold.

Donfox2:


I want to tell a story. It isn’t a pleasant story to some, but I call it an exposition, to let people know how elections are won and lost in Nigeria.

In 2011, as an undergraduate student, I volunteered to work as an ad-hoc staff member for INEC during the presidential elections. It was a volatile period, but for me an adventure. I wanted to understand how elections in Nigeria are won or rigged and thought it was a risk worth taking. I remember keeping it from my family because my parents would have opposed it outright. I was posted to a village in Giwa local government of Kaduna State.

Everything was going well on election day. We were a team of three. Two ladies and me. One of the ladies was a serving corps member. I really can’t remember the details of the third colleague. Inadvertently, I ended up as the leader of the team. People were orderly and casted their votes on time. The police escort was also friendly, although he only had a baton to protect us. After waiting for a while with no new voters turning up, we started packing up to count the votes publicly, and then return to the local government collation centre. That was when trouble started.

With very sharp machetes flashing in our faces, I was forced to hand over the remaining ballot papers to the villagers. We were told the ballot papers belonged to the polling unit and must be used up. We had no right to take away unused ballot papers. In that moment of need, the policeman was nowhere to be found. It simply wasn’t in our hands, and I had to play along to stay safe. PDP and CPC agents simply shared the ballot papers amongst themselves and returned thumb printed papers. Under the watchful eyes of the the machete wielding youths, we counted the ballot papers, declared CPC winners by a thin margin, and quickly packed the election materials into a waiting Peugeot J5 vehicle. I escorted my colleagues, the ladies, into the vehicle and was going to enter the vehicle myself when violence suddenly erupted. I still cannot explain the cause of the violence even today. It was totally for no reason. They started chasing me with machetes. Adrenaline set in.

In fear, the driver started driving away and I was forced to chase the vehicle with machetes on my heels. It was either I got to the vehicle or lose my life. The ladies were screaming at the driver to stop for me. I held on to the door on the passenger’s side while the vehicle was moving until the vehicle slowed down enough for me to enter. The vehicle was chased by machete-wielding youths until the assailants gave up. We got to the local government collation centre where another drama was waiting for us. I will share that story on a different day.

You see, this is how many elections are won and lost. When these ballot papers are shared in the hinterlands, would LP be sitting at the table? Would there be someone speaking up for Peter Obi, or would APC and PDP simply share the ballot papers?

“Obi dients”, the odds are not in your favour today.

Go and study the new electoral law.It has taken care of cases like this.

Only electronically accredited votes will count.Any polling unit that has more votes than electronically accredited will be cancelled

Interesting write up, quite an experience, Thank God you are alive.

Quick Question, Do you suppose the situation would be different with PVCs and digital collection of Votes?

What about the fact that Youths behind Obi are cultish in their movement, how would you expect the outcome if these voters are aggressively passionate youths who believe they are voting to revolt? do you think these kind of youths at these polling booths would have altered the narrative of what of what you experienced?

I am all ears.

Xbobtage:
Interesting write up, quite an experience, Thank God you are alive.

Quick Question, Do you suppose the situation would be different with PVCs and digital collection of Votes?

What about the fact that Youths behind Obi are cultish in their movement, how would you expect the outcome if these voters are aggressively passionate youths who believe they are voting to revolt? do you think these kind of youths at these polling booths would have altered the narrative of what of what you experienced?

I am all ears.

Which youths? These already highly corrupt segments of the Nigerian polity? Trust them to your peril

When I remember what Yoruba Muslims did to Jonathan in 2014, I feel like crying. Even Tinubu organized a protest in Ojota just to tanish Jonathan. SS people will never support Tinubu

hmm

Focus on your candidate, why we focus on better Nigeria.

This is why Buhari signed the electoral act into law. Results would be transmitted directly from the polling unit to INEC's data base after counting in the full glare of the people.

This system you explained here is long gone, we're in the digital era, once results are transmitted and uploaded on INEC's database, it cannot be tampered with cos people would screenshot it immediately.

So don't worry, we Obidents would be fine.

Such will not happen in 2023. Such polling unit will be cancelled