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The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Monday cancelled the results of 74 polling units in six local government areas of Kogi State over thuggery and failed BVAS that characterised Saturday’s polls.
Okehi, Umala, Ulama-Boro, Ofu, Yagba East, and Ibaji are among the LGAs engaged.
The Okehi LGA was the most severely affected; a few days prior to the election, the state government had widened parts of the area’s highways to prevent access by criminal groups.
In the Kogi Collation Centre, Dr. Emeka Oguju, the Okehi Collation Officer, informed Prof. Wahab Egbewale, the State Collation Officer, that 31 polling units’ results had been invalidated due to thuggery.
Ogujo said that 12, 037 votes were cancelled in the 31 polling units in four wards, in which voting materials were carted away by political thugs.
“In most affected polling units there was violence caused by political thugs, who invaded the units and disrupted the entire process,” he lamented.
Dr L. Adang, the Collation Officer for Umala Local Government Area, told the State Collation Officer at the Situation Room at INEC State Office, that 16 wards were affected by thuggery during the exercise.
According to him, 9,558 votes were cancelled in the affected polling units of the area.
Also presenting his results, Dr Adamu Wakili, Collation Officer for Olamaboro LGA, disclosed that 3, 582 votes in five polling units were cancelled due to thuggery and non-functional BVAS during the general elections of Saturday.
“Aside the activities of political thugs that affected the election in our area, we had an issue with two BVAS which couldn’t function because of the remoteness of the community it was taken to and the ineptness of the Presiding Officer.
“We tried to see whether it could work, but we couldn’t and only five units in that community were affected. We have reported that to the REC, ” he said.
Also, Ibaji LGA Collation Officer, Prof Dauda Tanko, said that the results of 11 polling units were cancelled in the area as a result of thuggery.
Tanko, who did not specify the number of votes affected by the cancellation, said four Registration Areas were affected by the activities of political thugs.