Rivers Youths Apprehend INEC Officials Allegedly Thumb-Print Ballot Papers

Vigilant youths in Bori, the Khana Local Govt Area of Rivers State, have caught some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) allegedly thumb printing ballot papers at the Commission’s office, three days after the declaration of the results of the Presidential and National Assembly elections.
The youths, who allegedly acted on a tip off, were able to video the officials and others that supervised the thumb printing, debunking the INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega’s claim that there was no substantial evidence to cancel the elections in Rivers State.
One of the officials disclosed under condition of anonymity, that the mass thumb printing, days after the election, was to justify the results tendered and provide evidence in preparation for the tribunal.
The ballot papers from the March 28 Presidential and National Assembly elections were allegedly thumb printed by Peoples Democratic Party, PDP members.
This move by the PDP is believed to be coming at a time the people of the area are mourning the yet to be investigated murder of three APC supporters in cold blood; one of them killed by a soldier. It also strengthened the belief about collaboration between INEC, security agents and PDP to rig elections in Rivers State.
Professor Jega had, during the collation of votes of the March 28 elections, admitted the results, which indicated that PDP scored 1,487,075 to APC’s 69,238 votes from Rivers State.
The INEC boss said that there was no substantial evidence to cancel election results in Rivers State, based on the report of an investigative committee that visited Port Harcourt, but acknowledged administrative deficiencies during the conduct of the polls.
Senator Magnus Abe, Rivers South-East Senatorial candidate of APC, who received the electoral materials from the Khana youths, urged the CID unit of the police to commence a full scale investigation and prosecute the INEC and police officials involved in the fraud.
“As you can see, before me are INEC ballot papers from Khana. At about 12noon, youths stumbled on some INEC officials in their office in Bori, where they brought in presiding officers and supervisors to thumb-print ballot papers and doctored results all in favour of PDP.
“I called the Area Commander, Bori and the DPO who told me the INEC officials were in Bori to collect their stipends on the last elections; I called CP Karma, who asked me to report the matter to the CID; I decided to inform the Nigerian public before proceeding to the police CID.”
Abe called on Professor Jega to urgently effect the redeployment of the Rivers State REC, Gesila Khan before the April 11 guber elections for showing executive recklessness in collaboration with PDP and the police.
He asked for the cancellation of the concocted elections, insisting that the votes counted in favour of the PDP were not cast by Rivers people. [myad]