INEC disowns gov election result in Zamfara •Youths protest result in Borno

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said on Wednesday that results announced by a local radio station in Zamfara State were not officially declared by the commission. This was contained in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC, Mr Kayode Idowu, in which the electoral body distanced itself from the result which was on the governorship election in Zamfara State.

Mr Idowu said: “The attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission has been drawn to an announcement of the Zamfara State governorship election results by a local radio station in the state, even when official results had not yet been declared at the collation centre.

“This announcement, for the avoidance of doubt, was unauthorised and illegal. As a matter of fact, the commission has warned the authorities of the radio station to desist from causing needless tension in the polity.

“The public is hereby advised to ignore the unauthorised radio announcement and await a formal declaration of the results by the INEC Returning Officer, who is the only one statutorily empowered to make such declaration.

“The commission, once again, implores media organisations to keep within the provisions of the law regarding the declaration of election results.

Meanwhile, protest, on Wednesday, marred the declaration of  the All Nigeria People’s Party (ANPP) governorship candidate in Borno State, Kashim Shettima, as winner of the state governorship election by INEC.

Some youths and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) supporters took to the streets and blocked major roads in Mafoni and Shehuri areas of the state capital, with burnt tyres and chanting anti-ANPP slogans.

According to the INEC declaration, Shettima, who defeated Mohammed Goni by a margin of 81,007 votes got 531,147 votes, while the PDP candidate polled 450,140 votes.

The PDP has, however, faulted results and sought cancellation in three council areas where it alleged massive rigging. But the state Returning Officer, Professor Abubakar Mustapha, said the Electoral Law did not permit him to cancel results at the state level. He, therefore, advised PDP to seek redress at the tribunal.

The two PDP agents at the collation centre, Alhaji Ahmed Ashemi and Iliya Stephen Mshelizza, sought cancellation of results in Bayo, Guzamala and Ngala local government areas of the state, warning that announcing results that included the three mentioned local government areas, where polls were allegedly manipulated, “will adversely affect the lives of over four million people of the state.”

At the time of filing this report, security situation in the state capital had become tensed, as heavily armed security personnel mounted the major streets to curtail pockets of protests by the supporters of the PDP from escalating to a full-scale riot.

Election in 10 LGs cancelled in Borno
Meanwhile, elections in 30 polling units across 10 out of the 27 local government areas of Borno State have been cancelled.

The affected local government areas are Gwoza, Askira-Uba, Guzamala, Bayo, Kalabalge, Ngala, Damboa, Bama, Kukawa, Gubio, Maiduguri Metropolitan Council, and Kwaya-kusar.

Announcing the results of the just-concluded gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections from their respective areas of assignment, the collation officers complained that massive rigging took place in many polling units.

They told the state collation officer, Professor Abubakar Mustafa, that thugs approached the polling units in question, snatched and escaped with ballot boxes.

They also reported incidents of clashes between thugs sponsored by the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and the PDP, during which two people lost their lives.

Nigerian Tribune reported that the commissioner of police on election duty in the state, Mr Mike Zuokumor, had earlier confirmed the massive irregularities reported by the collation officers.
Similarly, inconsistencies between figures of registered voters by the INEC and the ones given by many collation officers were noted.

Nigerian Tribune reported that agents of all the political parties that felt cheated refused to sign the results at polling units where rigging allegedly took place.