INEC cancels the results of 63 polling units in Kogi which were plagued by thuggery and failed BVAS during Saturday’s elections.
Among the affected Local Government Areas (LGAs) were Okehi, Umala, Ulama-Boro, and Ibaji. Okehi LGA was hit the hardest, as the State Government had recently dug up some of its roads to prevent criminal activity in the area. During the collation of results at the Kogi Collation Centre, Dr. Emeka Oguju, the Okehi Collation Officer, revealed that the results of 31 polling units across four wards were cancelled due to thuggery, with political thugs stealing voting materials and carting away ballot boxes, resulting in the cancellation of 12,037 votes. “In most affected polling units, there was violence caused by political thugs, who invaded the units and disrupted the entire process,” he lamented. Dr. L. Adang, the Collation Officer for Umala Local Government Area, also reported to the State Collation Officer at the Situation Room at INEC State Office that 16 wards were impacted by thuggery. As a result, 9,558 votes in the affected polling units had to be cancelled. Similarly, Dr. Adamu Wakili, the Collation Officer for Olama-Boro LGA, revealed during his results presentation that 3,582 votes in five polling units had to be cancelled due to thuggery and non-functional BVAS. “Aside from the activities of political thugs that affected the election in our area, we had an issue with one BVAS which couldn’t function because of the remoteness of the community it was taken to. “We tried to see whether it could work, but we couldn’t and only five units in that community were affected. We have reported that to the REC,” he said. Additionally, Prof. Dauda Tanko, the Collation Officer for Ibaji Local Government Area, reported that due to incidents of thuggery, the results of 11 polling units in the region were cancelled. Tanko did not disclose the exact number of votes impacted by the cancellations but indicated that the activities of political thugs affected four Registration Areas.
“We took particular note of incidences in places like Obio/Akpor, Khana, Eleme, Obigbo, Rumukoro and several other areas where Labour Party was clearly leading in virtually all the polling units with very wide margins. “Nigerians went into this election based on the assurances by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC that the deployment of BVAS was a perfect antidote to electoral malpractices in Nigeria, but what transpired across Nigeria, if allowed to stand is purely a betrayal of trust by millions of Nigerians on INEC. “Some of these manipulations happened way into late in the night. We demand that INEC investigate these atrocities against Nigerian voters by the political class. “We are therefore asking that INEC should rise to the occasion and cancel all the unverified and manipulated results arising from the presidential and national assembly elections in parts of Rivers state particularly in places like Obio/Akpor, Khana, Eleme, Obigbo and Rumukoro amongst others.” 
In his words: “The Angel that slapped Herod is presently monitoring Polling Units and Election results around Nigeria. Beware!!!” See post below; 
A video spotted online saw some voters blocking the path and preventing some officers from INEC from moving away in their cars after they refused to upload the results of the elections. A lot of people seem angrier and more agitated over the elections and the results from the various polling station as they have kept an eagle eye on anyone planning to rig the elections. In the video, some INEC from the polling unit in Omole Estate, Ojodu Berger were seized from moving after they packed their machines and stuff to leave without uploading the elections. 
This warning comes in response to recent reports of electoral disturbances in several local government areas, including Anyigba and Dekina in the Kogi East, Mopa in the Kogi West, and parts of Kogi Central, where it is alleged that voting materials were stolen by thugs. The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Kogi state, Dr. Hale Longpet, issued a warning while reacting to the crises that erupted in some parts of the state. “You know the electoral law says that where there are disruptions to the process, the result will be cancelled, the very particular units’ results will be cancelled. “The issues initially were only in the Kogi East and Central but I can’t tell exactly where and where in the state have been affected until the results are brought by the electoral officers. “We understood that because of the violence, those affected areas couldn’t conclude election there. “I’m shocked that people can go to that level and disrupt something that everybody should have enjoyed. “Election is a peaceful and willful thing that people are offered to freely participate. “Again, if people are given assurance that everyone will enjoy a pleasant experience, why then should we have thugs invading the whole town or the local government, disrupting the conduct of the elections?” he asked. Longpet said, “This is very sad and shocking when you look at the loss of lives involved.” He emphasized that participating in an election should not be viewed as an act of war. He added that if someone is not interested in voting, they are not obligated to do so. The REC further stated that those who are genuinely interested in improving their communities should exercise their right to vote and not be hindered from doing so. He also shared that he personally accompanied security officials on a motorcade to monitor the election process, from Adankolo to Crucial, through Kabawa and Falele. “Yet in all these places, we didn’t see anyone angry but people were all smiling and casting their votes peacefully,” he added. 
This was disclosed by the commission’s Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Friday, February 25, 2023. “I just want to say that we will ensure that result declaration will be done speedily. I can’t put a finger on the number of days or number of hours it will take but it will be done speedily. “We are aware of the anxiety and the need for us to conclude the process quickly. It will be concluded quickly,” Mahmood said. The INEC Chairman commented on how the current cash crunch in the country would impact the elections, noting that not all of the commission’s operations were funded with cash from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). He mentioned that a significant portion of procurement for goods and services was conducted electronically. “But we need a small amount of money to pay for the unbanked who render critical services, particularly at the local level. “We anticipated this challenge and interacted with the Central Bank; they promised us that the little amount we need to pay for services in cash, they will make the funds available to us and they have done so. “And these funds have already been accessed by our state offices for elections, which is why the movement of personnel and materials in the last couple of days has gone on unhindered. “So, I must give credit for our relationship with the Central Bank in that regard. The process won’t suffer any encumbrance as a result,” the INEC boss added. 
