Natasha Akpota: Election marked by massive irregularity
LOKOJA, Kogi, Nigeria – By now the international community should be thinking of how to mount pressure on President Muhammed Buhari to accent to the Electoral Act to pave way for non-violent free and fair election otherwise the 2023 general election will be characterised by massive violence of immeasurable proportion going by what has happened in Kogi State.
Here in Kogi, security agencies deployed for a free and fair election have suddenly turned on the orderly Kogi electorates shooting at them, spraying teargas from helicopter on orderly voters to pave way for snatching of ballot boxes and massive rigging. Besides the election was also characterised by kidnapping of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC).
What has happened in Kogi is not an election but total declaration of war on electorates in other to foist Yahaya Bello, the candidate of the All Progressive Congress(APC) on the people who should be given the chance to decide who will rule them in the next 4 years.
This is taking place even after the National Assembly has approved unprecedented N10.06 billion for Yahaya Bello just on the even of the election.
Not less than 28 thousand security officers were deployed for the election but it appeared they were deployed to aid the election of Yahaya Bello into power.
The candidate of the SDP, Natasha Akpoti says her party was omitted from the ballot papers.
Speaking after the election, Governorship candidate of the SDP, Natasha Akpoti summed her observation as follows, “Kogi Elections marked with gross irregularities. SDP not printed on result sheets. APC thugs & Commissioner for water resources disrupt election & insert figures at will”, she alleged.
At the polling unit at Lokongoma primary School, Lokoja, Chopper was used to scare voters away and subsequently do away with Ballot boxes. Security forces were seen spraying teargas from helicopters on voters to scare them so as to pave way for massive rigging of the election. Click here to watch video.
In some instances, policemen deployed for the election turned their guns on the electorate to scare them away to pave way for manipulation of results. Click here to watch the video.
Commenting on the election, Oko Aihe, who monitored the election declared the exercise as nothing but declaration of war on the electorates.
