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INEC admits malpractices, suspends poll in parts of Kogi

Mustapha USMAN
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INEC admits malpractices, suspends poll in parts of Kogi

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has suspended the ongoing governorship election in some local government areas (LGAs) of Kogi state over electoral malpractices.

Affected LGAs include Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi, and Okene.

The commission, via its X handle, on Saturday night, November 11, said it received reports from its officials in Kogi state on incidents of electoral malpractices, particularly the incident of result sheets completed before voting.

“Reports indicate that the incidents occurred in Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi, and Okene local government areas. The most serious incidents occurred in Ogori/Magongo, affecting nine of 10 registration areas,” the statement added.

The electoral body described the development as ‘entirely unacceptable,’ adding that any result not emanating from the commission’s process in the polling units would not be accepted.

“The commission is determined not to reward bad behaviour. Consequently, the election in the nine wards in Ogori/Magongo LGA (Eni, Okibo, Okesi, Ileteju, Aiyeromi, Ugugu, Obinoyin, Obatgben and Oturu) is at this moment suspended. The incidences in the other local government areas are being thoroughly investigated, and the outcome, including the way forward, will be announced in the next 24 hours.” 

Meanwhile, INEC stated that the electoral processes in other parts of the state continue, noting that it would continue to follow the audit trail of personnel and materials to ascertain those who might have been complicit in undermining the process.

It further assured the electorate in the state that their votes would be protected and their wishes would be respected.

The ICIR reported how YIAGA Africa, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Dino Melaye, and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidate, Muritala Ajaka, raised the alarm over pre-filled and forged results sheet in Ogori/Magongo.

The civil society organisation and the two opposition parties’ candidates condemned the acts and called on INEC to investigate the incident.

The PDP candidate further called on INEC to cancel the election in the five LGAs.

Melaye is one of the 18 candidates cleared by INEC to vie for the governorship seat in Saturday, November 11, off-cycle election in the state.

Other leading candidates are Muritala Ajaka (SDP), Ododo Usman Ahmed (APC), and Leke Abejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).

The election in Kogi is one of the three off-cycle governorship polls held on Saturday, November 11.

Other states with a similar exercise are Imo and Bayelsa.

Vote buying: EFCC intercepts N11m in Otuoke, others, arrests 14

Mustapha USMAN
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Vote buying: EFCC intercepts N11m in Otuoke, others, arrests 14

OPERATIVES of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, have arrested 14 suspected vote buyers across the three states where off-cycle governorship elections were held on Saturday, November 11.

A statement by the commission hours after the polls stated that the buyers were apprehended in Otuoke, Adawari playgrounds in Bayelsa State and at various polling units in Imo and Kogi States.

The EFCC said it intercepted N11 million (N11,040,000) from suspected vote buyers in the three states.

Giving the breakdown of the amount intercepted in each state,  the EFCC said N9.3 million (N9,310,000) was intercepted from suspected vote buyers and sellers in Bayelsa, and N1,730,000 million was recovered from electoral fraud suspects across Imo State.

The Commission, however, didn’t state the exact amount recovered in Kogi state.

The commission said the development resulted from intelligence-driven operations that commenced days before the elections in the affected states.

It noted that it intercepted two vehicles from the suspects during the process, adding it will charge the arrested suspects to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

The ICIR checks on the image posted by EFCC showed that one of the suspects arrested for vote buying was a man with an All Progressive Candidate tag hanging around his neck. 

The ICIR had reported the top candidates competing for the governorship seats in the three states.

Using data in this report, the organisation highlighted parties’ chances in the states.

Diri wins own polling unit

Ijeoma OPARA
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Diri wins own polling unit

BAYELSA State Governor Douye Diri won his polling unit with a landslide in the governorship election held on Saturday, November 11.

Out of 219 votes cast in his polling unit in the Ibaba Wari primary school, Kolokuma/Opokuma local government area (LGA), Diri cleared 218 votes while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) got one vote.

At polling unit 003, Diri claimed all 150 votes cast.

He also won all 234 votes cast in polling unit 002, Ward 6 in Sampur community, Kolokuma/Opokuma LGA.

The ICIR reported that Diri won the polling unit of the Labour Party candidate in the Bayelsa governorship election Udengs Eradiri.

He polled the majority of votes in the unit, with 130 votes, while Eradiri garnered eight votes from his polling unit in unit 05, Ward 10, Yenagoa Local Government Area (LGA).

 

 

INEC debunks news of replacing trained ad-hoc staff in Bayelsa

Itoro ETUKUDO
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INEC debunks news of replacing trained ad-hoc staff in Bayelsa

THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Saturday, November 11, debunked the news that its trained ad-hoc staff were replaced in the Bayelsa off-cycle gubernatorial election.

An account on X, @PIDOMNigeria Nigeria, in a post  stated that INEC was working hard to ensure that the Bayelsa state election was rigged.

“INEC is doing everything within its powers to rig Saturday’s governorship election in Bayelsa for the highest bidders.

“All the trained corpers were asked to go back to where they came from. This includes APO 1, 1,2, and 3. INEC didn’t carry any of the trained APOs. They only left with voting materials,“ PIDOM Nigeria stated.

However, INEC debunked the claim in a statement by its head of voters’ registration in the state, Wilfred Ifogah.

“I wish to state here that it is not true that names of trained personnel who applied were substituted with individuals from an unknown source as claimed in the statement,” the statement read in parts.

Ifogah explained that the commission was thorough in recruiting, training, and shortlisting ad-hoc staff for the election.

Ifogah cautioned residents to be wary of rumours that are certain to be spread by those whose interest is to undermine the commission.

SDP, PDP get zero vote as Yahaya Bello wins polling unit for APC

Bankole ABE
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SDP, PDP get zero vote as Yahaya Bello wins polling unit for APC

KOGI state Governor Yahaya Bello has won his polling unit for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Usman Ododo.

 Bello, who voted at polling unit 011, Agassa, Okene LGA, Kogi Central, got 840 votes to defeat other top parties in the race.

Muktar Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) got zero votes at the polling unit.

The Governor, who will soon finish his tenure, boasted while casting his vote earlier that his party’s candidate, Ododo, would win at the governorship election held today, November 11, in the state.

The Governor, who has spent two terms as governor of the North-Central state, said he was confident of victory because of his work in the state.

He stated these after casting his vote at the Open Space polling unit, Asubo Ward in Agassa, Okene, Kogi Central.

The ICIR reported that the governorship candidate of the SDP, Ajaka, also won his polling unit at Grade 1 Area Court, Ajaka Ward 07 in Igalamela/Odolu LGA of the state. 

He polled 111 votes against the APC’s five votes, while Melaye of PDP secured zero.

Similarly, the PDP governorship candidate for the Kogi election, Melaye, won the election in his polling unit in Iluafon Quarters under the state’s Aiyetoro 1 registration area of Ijumu LGA.

As announced by the Presiding Officer after the election, Melaye polled 210 votes against his opponents.

Ododo of the APC had 22 votes, while the African Democratic Party’s (ADC) candidate, Leke Abejide, polled seven votes.

INEC cleared 18 candidates for the governorship seat in the off-cycle election in Kogi State.

 

Imo poll: Iwuanyanwu ignores security, blames low voter turnout on economy

Harrison EDEH
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Imo poll: Iwuanyanwu ignores security, blames low voter turnout on economy

PRESIDENT-General of Ohaneze Ndi Igbo worldwide, Emmanuel Iwuanyawu, has attributed low voter turnout in Imo state to economic challenges faced by the people in the state.

Iwuanyawu stated this after casting his vote at the Attah ward one, polling unit 01 in Ikeduru local government area at 10:45 a.m.

The ICIR confirms low voter turnout at the polling units visited in Owerri municipal, Ikeduru, and Owerri north local government areas.

The statesman also rated the election generally peaceful despite pockets of violence in the Orlu Senatorial district of the state.

He said none of the reports available to him showed violence.

“Imo people are peaceful as a people, and we are Christians. We don’t kill. I have not heard of any place where there is a report of irregularities or violence.

I have been moving around monitoring the election. Every place was peaceful. The problem I witnessed was that people were not turning up enough. The expected crowd may not be there, but there was a peaceful election in Imo state,” he said.

He urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to fulfil its promise of conducting credible elections.

He also urged INEC to declare results to reflect the people’s votes.

The octogenarian advised politicians to have the spirit of sportsmanship.

“I want to thank the security men and women, INEC, for the peaceful election. With what I witnessed and heard, the election was peaceful,” he said.

Dino Melaye demands cancellation of elections in 5 LGAs

Itoro ETUKUDO
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Dino Melaye demands cancellation of elections in 5 LGAs

THE governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dino Melaye, has demanded the cancellation of the elections held in five Local Government Areas of the state (LGA).

Melaye, on Saturday, November 11 – the election day – took to his official X to make the demand.

“INEC must cancel the election in the five local governments of Kogi Central.  The election in Okene, Okehi, Ajaokuta, Adavi, and Ogori/Mangogo is a scam coordinated from the highest level of INEC”, he said.

The ICIR reports that the PDP candidate won the election in his polling unit in Iluafon Quarters under the Aiyetoro 1 registration area of Ijumu LGA.

Melaye polled 210 votes against the All People’s Congress (APC), and African Democratic Party (ADC), who got 22 and seven votes respectively among other political parties’ results.

Meanwhile, Dino Melaye was not seen voting at his polling unit, but he claimed to be present and had cast his vote.

EFCC operatives storm voting center in Adavi LGA

Bankole ABE
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EFCC operatives storm voting center in Adavi LGA

Operatives of the Economic and Finacial Crimes Commission (EFCC) stormed a voting centre in Oziokutu, Adavi Local Government Area (LGA) on Saturday, November 11 when the governorship election was ongoing. 

They were at the centre to check vote buying which characterises Nigeria’s elections.

EFCC operatives at Oziokutu pooling centre in Adavi LGA, Kogi Central
EFCC operatives at Oziokutu polling centre in Adavi LGA, Kogi Central

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is holding the governorship election in Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states today.

The operatives who came in a white vehicle refused to comment on the number of people they had arrested during the election.

A serious argument ensued at one of the polling units at the centre.

But a voter at the venue said the election was going on well, and the argument erupted because people wanted to cast their vote.

Kogi poll: SDP’s Ajaka wins polling unit

Itoro ETUKUDO
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Kogi poll: SDP’s Ajaka wins polling unit

THE governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Muritala Ajaka, emerged winner of his polling unit at Grade 1 Area Court, Ajaka Ward 07 in Igalamela/Odolu LGA in Kogi state. 

He polled 111 votes against the All Progressives Congress (APC), which had 005 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured zero votes.

Similarly, the Peoples  Democratic Party’s (PDP) governorship candidate for the Kogi election, Dino Melaye has won the election in his polling unit in Iluafon Quarters under Aiyetoro 1 registration area of Ijumu LGA of the state.

As announced by the Presiding Officer after the election process, Melaye polled a total of 210 votes against his contenders.

The candidate for the All People’s Congress (APC), Ahmed Ododo had 22 votes while African Democratic Party’s (ADC) candidate, Leke Abejide polled only 7 votes.

The polling unit recorded a low turnout of voters as 252 voters were accredited out of 819 registered voters.

A total of 18 candidates vying for the governorship seat were cleared by INEC in the off-cycle election in Kogi State.

Election Day Fact-Checks: Imo, Bayelsa & Kogi governorship poll

Editorial
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Election Day Fact-Checks: Imo, Bayelsa & Kogi governorship poll

THE Nigerian Fact-checkers’ Coalition (NFC) brings you live checks of election-related misinformation and disinformation spreading online and on television on election day for the November 11, 2023, off-cycle election in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa states. 

Read the pre-election day live-check HERE.

Do you have an election-related claim you want us to fact-check?

Reach the NFC via HERE.

This page is constantly being updated with verified checks. 

Claim 15

STATE: Imo

CLAIM: A Twitter user @ChidiOdinkalu claims that IReV passwords to be used by  Assistant Presiding Officers (APOs) have been retrieved from LGA supervisors in Imo state without reason.

FINDING: Mary Nkem, the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, told the NFC that the claim is untrue. She said Presiding Officers (POs) and not APOs are responsible for uploading results on the IReV. According to her, all passwords have been “securely released” for use by designated officials in line with the commission’s guidelines.

VERDICT: INCORRECT

SOURCES: Director, Voter Education and Publicity Mary Nkem

DATE: 11/11/2023

Claim 14

STATE: Kogi

CLAIM: PDP gubernatorial candidate Senator Dino Melaye tweeted a press statement that the LP and PDP have formed an alliance in Kogi and have resolved to adopt him as the candidate for both parties.

FINDING: The LP spokesperson Yinusa Tanko debunked it. In a phone interview, he told DUBAWA that he was unaware of such an alliance. There is also no such press release on the LP’s website or social media pages.

VERDICT: Incorrect

SOURCES: LP spokesperson Yinusa Tanko

DATE: 11/11/2023

Claim 13

STATE: Kogi State

CLAIM: An X (Twitter) user @TheSerahIbrahim claimed that the results sheet has already been filled in Kogi state while elections are yet to begin.

FINDING:  According to news reports by Daily Trust and Leadership Newspapers, YIAGA Africa had raised the alarm of discovered pre-filled election results from the Eni ward of Ogori/Mangogo and Eika/Ohizenyi, Okehi LGA of the state on X while calling on INEC to investigate the issue. INEC also confirmed the incident via a post on X

VERDICT: Correct

SOURCES: Daily Trust, Leadership and Yiaga Africa

DATE: 11/11/2023

Claim 12

STATE: Imo state

CLAIM: An X user, Nwa (@nwaadaz), claimed that according to TCT News, the Imo state governor, Hope Uzodinma, killed more than 500 youths in his first tenure.

FINDING:  Over 400 deaths through violence were recorded in Imo between Jan. 2019 and Dec. 2021. In the first quarter of 2022, more than 25 fatalities were recorded. There was insufficient evidence to prove the number of youth fatalities within Uzodinma’s first term; however, no death reports were attributed to him. There is also no news platform called TCT News.

VERDICT: Incorrect

SOURCES: Foundation for Partnership  Initiatives in the Niger Delta (PIND)

DATE: 11/11/2023

Claim 11

STATE: Imo state

CLAIM: An X user, Sonia (unahsonia), shared some pictures of a burnt vehicle and claimed that it was the result of electoral violence sponsored by the Imo state governor, Hope Uzodinma.

FINDINGS: We ran a reverse image search on both pictures and discovered the incident is not recent. It happened around 8 am on Oct. 2, 2023, at Ezzangbo junction along Abakaliki Enugu highway, Ohanukwu LGA, Ebonyi state.

VERDICT: INCORRECT

SOURCES: Google Lens

DATE: 11/11/2023

Claim 10

STATE: IMO

CLAIM: A video shared by Facebook user @ONYII NWA IMO claimed that Imo voters have resorted to staying indoors as only a few people are at different polling units in Owerri, the state capital.

FINDING: Tunde Ososanya, a BBC Reporter covering the election in Imo, in a telephone conversation, confirmed that the incident of low voter turnout in Owerri and other parts of Imo State is true. He noted that the low turnout might be tied to heavy security presence in the state. This was also corroborated by Mark Adebayo, spokesperson of the Coalition of Political Parties in Nigeria, in an interview with TVC news.

VERDICT: CORRECT

SOURCES: BBC Reporter Tunde Ososanya & Spokesperson of the Coalition of Political             Parties in Nigeria Mark Adebayo, in an interview with TVC news.

DATE: 11/11/2023

Claim 9

STATE: Bayelsa State

CLAIM: Morris Monye, a prominent Labour Party member, claimed on X there was a bomb blast near INEC Road in Yenagoa, Bayelsa, involving explosives.

FINDING:  We searched for this on credible media platforms covering the election but none published such. The police PRO said there was indeed an explosion in Kpansia (over a kilometre away), earlier in the week but not at INEC Road as claimed.

VERDICT: Misleading

SOURCES: Google, Bayelsa police

DATE: 11 – 11 – 23

CLAIM LINK: https://x.com/Morris_Monye/status/1722949569946820873?s=20

Claim 8

STATE: Imo State

CLAIM: An X user claimed security operatives intercepted a Labour Party chieftain with money and voting materials at Isiala Mbano LGA of Imo State.

FINDING: The NFC contacted the Imo police spokesperson, Henry Okoye, who said the claim was false. We observed that the images used by the claimant had been taken from various unrelated incidents in the past. A Google reverse image search on the first image showing a bag of money revealed that the image was taken from the 2019 election in Benue and the fourth during the 2023 elections.

VERDICT: INCORRECT

SOURCES: Imo police spokesperson; The Guardian; ICIR

DATE: 11/11/2023

FACT-CHECK AUTHOR(s): Elizabeth Ogunbamowo

Claim 7

STATE:  Kogi state

CLAIM: The governor of Kogi state, Yahaya Bello, claimed that the reports of electoral violence under his leadership are untrue.

FINDING: The Centre for Democracy and Development, in its 2019 post-election document after an off-cycle poll conducted in Kogi, reported ten deaths and 79 cases of violence and election malpractices across the 21 LGAs in the state. There were also recorded cases of violence, such as the kidnapping of INEC officials and an attack on SDP candidate Murtala Ajaka in the build-up to the ongoing election.

VERDICT:  INCORRECT

SOURCES: CDD and media reports

DATE: 11/11/2023

Claim 6

STATE: Kogi State

CLAIM: Parallel Facts on Twitter claimed that INEC officials dispatched to various polling units in Lokoja were stranded at the Ajayi Crowther Memorial School Lokoja.

FINDING: The NFC contacted Premium Times and People Gazette reporters, who both confirmed that although voting is ongoing in the various polling units in Lokoja, there was a delay in the transportation of the INEC officials from the school earlier.

VERDICT: CORRECT

SOURCES: Premium Times and Peoples Gazette reporters

DATE: 11/11/2023

Claim 5

STATE: Bayelsa

CLAIM: After casting his vote in Bayelsa on Saturday, Former Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan claimed that seven Nigerian states hold off-cycle elections.

FINDING: Eight states in Nigeria operate on an off-cycle calendar owing to election petition tribunal rulings. The states include Anambra, Ondo, Edo, Bayelsa, Kogi, Osun, Ekiti, and Imo.

VERDICT: Incorrect

SOURCES: Civic Hive and CDD

DATE: 11/11/2023

Claim 4

STATE: Bayelsa State

CLAIM: Using an image to corroborate his claim, an X user, @DEMAN004, tweeted that armed thugs recently invaded polling units in Bayelsa, in which they hijacked election materials and threatened voters and INEC officials.

FINDING: We analysed the picture with TinEye, a reverse image search engine tool, and discovered that the photo the claimant used to depict the violence is from 2019.

VERDICT: Misleading

SOURCES: TinEye

DATE: 11 – 11 – 23

CLAIM LINK: https://x.com/DEMAN004/status/1723295053848719793?s=20

Claim 3

STATE: Kogi State

CLAIM: Dino Melaye, Kogi PDP governorship candidate, claims INEC officials have filled result sheets ahead of voting, resulting in people’s refusal to vote in the Ogori-Magongo local govt area of Kogi state.

FINDING: YIAGA (election observer group) had raised alarm over pre-recorded election sheets in favour of the APC as reported by Daily Trust and Leadership newspaper and Ogori-Magongo was mentioned as part of the affected local government. INEC said in a statement on its X handle, saying its senior officials had been deployed to the state to investigate this.

VERDICT: Correct

SOURCES: Leadership, Daily Trust newspaper and INEC

DATE: 11/11/2023

Claim 2

STATE: Imo State

CLAIM: An X user claims Labour Party is winning in Imo State in the current governorship election

FINDING: The post has a result sheet from a polling unit in the state, but that is not enough to reach the conclusion that the Labour Party is currently winning in the state. Results are still being collated on the INEC collation website, so it can’t be proven that the Labour Party is winning.

VERDICT: Unproven

SOURCES: Independent verification

DATE: 11/11/2023

Claim 1

STATE: Imo State

CLAIM: Several Facebook users claimed that security operatives in Imo state arrested Akarachi Amadi, a lawmaker representing Mbaitoli and Ikeduru federal constituency. The posts claimed Amadi was arrested after he allegedly led a group of people to hijack election materials in the area.

FINDING: The NFC contacted Henry Okoye, the Imo police spokesperson. Mr Okoye dismissed the report but promised to provide further details after his findings. A quick keyword search also showed no credible media houses had reported the event.

VERDICT: INCORRECT

SOURCES: Imo Police Spokesperson

DATE: 11/11/2023

Nigerian Fact-checkers' Coalition

This live-check was jointly researched and written by members of the Nigerian Fact-Checkers’ Coalition (NFC): Nurudeen Akewushola, Fatimah Quadri (FactCheckHub); Rosemary Ajayi (Digital Africa Research Lab); Daniel Adaji, Farida Salifu (NatureNews); Elizabeth Ogunbamowo, Lois Ugbede, Cole Praise, Temilade Onilede, Lateef Sanni, Sunday Awosoro, Philip Anjorin, Lade Aborisade, Maxine Danso (Dubawa); Catherine Adeniyi, Allwell Okpi, Fatimah Abubakar, Muktar Balogun, Semilore Adelola, Denzel Amobi, (Africa Check); Faruk Shuaibu (Daily Trust); Rejoice Ewodage, Hannah Ajakaiye (FactsMatterNG); Claire Mom (The Cable); Temiloluwa Erinle, Alefia Friday James, Muyiwa Adekojede (RoundCheck); Theophilus Adedokun; Shehu Olayinka, Blessing Otoibhi (ICIR).

It was edited and approved for publication by Kemi Busari, Simbiat Bakare (Dubawa), Motunrayo Joel, David Ajikobi (Africa Check), Ajibola Amzat (CCIJ), Opeyemi Kehinde (FactCheckHub) and Bamas Victoria (ICIR).

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