Politicians, INEC Staff Steal Elections’ Result Sheets In Delta

The Delta state police command has made in-roads into the activities of a criminal group, comprising of politicians and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, who connived to steal 137 original copies of result sheets used for the last governorship and house of assembly elections in the state. 

16 completed copies of original result sheets, otherwise known as form EC8A (1) for House of Assembly held in parts of Warri South and 47 copies of such sheets, otherwise known as Form EC8A for the governorship election held in the same area were recovered from the suspects by men of the Nigerian police force.

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Also recovered were seven completed copies of original result sheets, otherwise known as Form EC8 for governorship election held in parts of Ugheli North and five copies of such sheet, otherwise known as Form EC8A(1) for house of assembly election held in the area.

Others include one copy of original form EC8B(1) for summary of results from polling units in Warri South, 149 original copies of polling unit material receipt forms, otherwise known as form EC25B and 139 copies of forged forms EC25B among others.

A reliable source told Vanguard this weekend that the police would soon parade the suspects and subsequently arraign them in court. A chairman and top official of one of the political parties in the state have been fingered in the crime.

A Deputy Commissioner of Police in the state, Hafix M. Inuwa, in a report with reference number, CR3000/DTS/SD3/VOL/3/230, dated June 25, said police detectives, acting on a tip-off, swooped on the suspects when they were in a popular hotel in Asaba, the Delta state capital, and arrested them.

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According to the report, addressed to the Delta state commissioner of police, “The recovered and identified result sheets are sensitive materials that should not be found outside the custody of INEC or officials of INEC.

“Whoever stole the result sheet is the person that stands to gain advantage at the electoral petition tribunal if INEC could not produce the result sheets when the tribunal demands for it.”

“Following the discovery of these exhibits, INEC did a stock taking of its strong room and discovered that a total of 117 results sheets for governorship election and 20 House of Assembly elections are missing from their strong room.” 

When contacted, the Delta state police public relations officer, Celestina Kalu, said INEC wrote a petition to the police over the matter, adding that those found guilty would be charge to court.

She however revealed that some of the suspects had been at large, refusing to honour police invitations, but stated that the  police would continue manhunt for them.

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Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress has accused INEC of conspiring with the Rivers state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party to hinder the course of justice in the petitions it filed at the state election tribunal.

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