March 19, (THEWILL) – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the upload of results of Saturday’s gubernatorial election in Plateau State into its portal.
However, the Commission has replaced the results of Dabir and Golten polling units with that of Chika 1, where the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) won by landslide.
Dabir, Golten and Chika 1 are polling units in Chika “A” registration area in Kanke Local Government Area (LGA) of the State, where the APC governorship candidate, Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, hails from.
Yilwatda, who recently resigned his appointment as INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) to pick the Plateau APC guber ticket, is a graduate of electrical and electronics engineering and helped INEC develop the software used for the election.
According to data uploaded on INEC’s viewing portal, out of 523 accredited voters in Dibir and Golten polling units respectively, APC polled 508 votes in each of the PUs, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came a distant second with 14 votes.
Curiously, the same result sheet recorded by INEC for Dibir and Golten polling units was the same as the Commission recorded for Chika 1 polling unit. The three result sheets were signed by the same Ajani Aishat Abiodun.
Commenting on the development, a PDP agent told reporters that the body language of the APC agent before and during the elections suggested that he was banking on a rigging strategy.
He noted, “This is incredulous. Didn’t know that they would be this daft. Who records the same result in three different polling units? The three polling units had the same number of registered and accredited voters. They had the same number of valid votes. What is more, the same number of people voted for PDP and APC in the three different wards.
“This must be INEC’s latest wonder!
“The implication of their rigging is that, in just three polling units, the APC candidate polled 1,524 votes compared to the 42 purportedly polled by my party, the PDP.
“It means that in just three wards, INEC gave the APC candidate a headstart of 1,482 votes. Multiply that number by the number of wards in Kanke and Pankshin LGAs, and you’ll have a faint idea of how they plan to rig us blind,” lamented the PDP agent.
“Even when companies run gift promotions, they clearly forbid friends and relations of their workers from participating. How is it that a man, who until a few months ago was in charge of INEC’s ICT, is now contesting in an election that largely will be determined by the use of the same ICT systems he installed?
“Recall that we raised the alarm last week that the APC candidate, Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, has been boasting to friends and political associates that he cannot fail in an examination he set up the questions. That his boys in INEC know what to do when the chips are down.
“The chips are down and we are beginning to feel the hand of Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, and clearly hear his voice manipulating things in INEC,” the PDP agent declared, warning that “any attempt to subvert the will of the people of Plateau State will be stoutly resisted by all means necessary.”
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