The Independent National Electoral Commissioner (INEC) in charge of Information and Voter Education and Festus Okoye has said that election results from polling units where there were reported cases of ballot box snatching may be cancelled depending on reports from the presiding officer in such units.
Okoye also said that the Commission was not aware of allegation made by the Peoples Democratic Party that Governor Yahaya Bello and the APC was forcing the Commission to sign prefilled results.
The INEC National Commissioner said that if there are areas where ballot box snatching was reported, the presiding officer is expected to write a report on such incident to the Electoral Officer stating the issues concern and how they fill into the guidelines.
According to him, the report from the presiding officers from such units will help the commission to determine whether the results from such units will be cancelled outright or whether a rerun will be ordered or whether unit will be awarded a zero score.
He said further that until such reports is received from the officers on the field the commission will not take decision on it.
On the allegations that Governor Bello is forcing the Commission to sign prefilled results, he said the commission was not aware of such incidence and is not party to such action.
He said “we have some Resident and National Commissioners and other senior staff of the commission on the field. They are doing their job in accordance to the law.
He said “we are not aware of such an incident and if such an incident is taking place, there will be a report because we have some Resident Electoral Commissioners supervising a cluster of local government areas. We also have some of our senior staff and national commissioners out there in the field. So, there is a channel through which people can report. So, if a thing of such is happening, we will have a report immediately.”
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