Some ad-hoc staff members of the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) have been abducted in Imo State.
INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Imo, Francis
Ezeonu, confirmed the abduction of the electoral officials on Saturday while
briefing reporters in Owerri, the state capital.
This comes as the electoral umpire conducts a bye-election
for the Ngor Okpala State Constituency seat in the Imo State House of Assembly.
“We have noticed with great worries the abduction by some
unknown persons of some of our ad-hoc staff, together with election materials
towards the end of polls,” Ezeonu said.
“While the trend earlier in the day was violence,
disruption, and destruction, or carting away of INEC voting materials; towards
the end of polls, it changed to the abduction of our personnel with our BVAS,
ballot papers, and result sheets.”
The REC also confirmed the incidences of violence and
snatching of ballot boxes in some areas, adding that the abducted persons were
blindfolded and forcefully taken to an unknown destination.
“We received the reports of incidences of violence and
disruption of votes in some polling units and attacks on our personnel,” he
added. “So far, no casualty has been reported and the security (agencies) have
been up and doing in rescuing some of our staff who were trapped within the
crisis areas.
“We remain grateful to them and pray they sustain the tempo
till the end of the day. We have received SOS from some of our ad-hoc staff who
were abducted, blindfolded, and taken to unknown destinations where they are
compelled to thumbprint the ballot papers.
“Our situation room has similarly received several
complaints alluding to the same (reports) from the general public.”
While the number of those kidnapped has yet to be
ascertained, Ezeonu appealed to the individuals or group responsible for the
abduction of the INEC ad-hoc officials to release them unconditionally.
He stressed that the commission was not ready and would
never take results that do not tally with accredited voters from the Bimodal
Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machine.
“We wish to reassure the general public that the results
manufactured from unknown places will not be collated. The number of votes cast
must tally with the number of accredited voters, as shown by the BVAS for such
a result to be authenticated,” the REC stated.
The election held on Saturday was also held in three other
states, including Cross River (Ogoja/Ayala Federal Constituency and Akpabuyo
State Constituency).
INEC conducted the poll in Ondo (Akure South/North Federal
Constituency) and Plateau (Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency and Pankshin
(State Constituency).
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