- INEC keeps mum
From Okwe Obi, Abuja
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate for Borno Central District, Borno State, Mohammed Kumalia, has accused some ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of allegedly tampering with the election results in connivance with some electoral officers.
Kumalia claimed that his bid was allegedly upturned by these actions, and when he went to court to challenge the process, officers in charge of Mafa Local Government were caught thumb-printing and stuffing ballot boxes within the premises of the Maiduguri INEC office almost a month after the polls to distort evidence to be presented before the Election Petitions Tribunal.
Kumalia stated at a press briefing in Abuja that his inspectors arrested two staff involved in the thumb printing and stuffing of ballot boxes and took them to the Bulumkutu Police Station with the bundles of ballot papers that were thumb printed and the indelible ink they used.
“When our team arrived at the police station the next day as requested for the case to be transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the DPO informed our team that the suspects have been released to the officials of the Maiduguri INEC office and the bundle of ballot papers and the indelible ink (Exhibits) have been returned to the INEC office in Maiduguri,” Kumalia said.
Kumalia alleged that the actions of the ad hoc staff amount to tampering with evidence, and any attempt to thumbprint or move ballot papers from one ballot box to another after the elections have been concluded is against the law.
The Head of Department, Voter Education and Publicity, Abba Liberty, declined to comment on the issue when contacted by reporters, saying it was beyond him and that the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) should be contacted.