A group by the name ‘Plateau Patriotic Youths for Democracy and Good Governance’ has insisted that the rescheduled elections in 16 units across Bassa/Jos North Federal Constituency which was moved from Saturday 3rd February 2024 to Sunday 4th February 2024 was done with the aim of disenfranchise voters within the affected areas. This was disclosed by the group during a press conference held at the Secretariat of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Jos on Sunday 4th February 2024.
While reading the text on behalf of the group, Coordinator of the Group, Stephen D. Kwa said “We read on Saturday with shock, disappoinment and disenchantment the press statement from INEC on Saturday to the effect that elections would be conducted in 16 polling units on Sunday 4th February, 2024 following the rerun elections for Plateau North Senatorial District and Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency on Saturday 3rd, February 2024.”
“INEC in its statement on Saturday, explained that today’s election becomes imperative because on Friday 2nd February 2024, the Commission discovered that ballot papers for the said 16 Polling units had gone missing. The Commission added that the matter has been referred to the security agencies for investigation and herein lies our concerned.”
The group said that after going through the statement, they wondered what went wrong given that the commission has dispatched sensitive material intact before the funny incident of the disappearance of the ballot papers “After going through the press statement from INEC, it’s obvious that the Commission gave out everything intact from their National Headquaters but when it arrived Jos, the materials for polling units in Naraguta B, Tudun Wada and Kabong suddenly developed wings and this is the reason these places will have to conduct their elections today.”
They said that the disappearance was a ploy to prevent voters within the areas stated from voting. I’m their own words, they said “The moment we heard of the story of the so-called missing election materials, we suspected it was a plan highly orchestrated to disenfranchised the electorates in these polling units.”
“Our suspicion is now fully confirmed as INEC official who supposed to commence the exercise by 8:30am and round up by 3:30 refused to show up in most of the polling units even up to this time (5:30pm) that we are addressing you.”
“Prospective voters who hitherto troop out in mass at about 6:30am to excercise their franchise got frustrated haven spent the whole day with no INEC official in sight.”
They listed the units where INEC Officials never showed up as late as 5:30pm ok Sunday 4th February 2024 as follows;
“1. Polling Unit 043- Ung Rimi Rukuba Road,”
“2. Polling Unit 044- Ung Chai Kabong,45-Bauda Kabong”
“3. Polling Unit 046-Alama juction Rukuba Road.”
“4. Polling Unit 047- Ung Chawai kabong,48-Utan PHC.”
They noted that in some areas where the rescheduled polls took place, the ballot papers supplied where far less than the number PVCs collected. They called on INEC to postpone the polls in these units to enable voters in the units exercise their franchise.
“It is for this reason that we call on INEC to reschedule a date for the affected polling units in the spirit of fairness and objectivity being the hollmark of democracy.”
The full press text is presented below;
INEC SHOULD SET A NEW DATE FOR SOME POLLING UNITS IN TUDUN WADA KABONG/NARAGUTA B REGISTRATION AREAS – A PRESS STATEMENT DELIVERED BY THE PLATEAU PATRIOTIC YOUTHS FOR DEMOCRACY AND GOOD GOVERNANCE ON SUNDAY 4th FEBRUARY, 2024
Gentlemen of the press
We read on Saturday with shock, disappoinment and disenchantment the press statement from INEC on Saturday to the effect that elections would be conducted in 16 polling units on Sunday 4th February, 2024 following the rerun elections for Plateau North Senatorial District and Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency on Saturday 3rd, February 2024.
INEC in its statement on Saturday, explained that today’s election becomes imperative because on Friday 2nd February 2024, the Commission discovered that ballot papers for the said 16 Polling units had gone missing. The Commission added that the matter has been referred to the security agencies for investigation and herein lies our concerned.
After going through the press statement from INEC, it’s obvious that the Commission gave out everything intact from their National Headquaters but when it arrived Jos, the materials for polling units in Naraguta B, Tudun Wada and Kabong suddenly developed wings and this is the reason these places will have to conduct their elections today.
The moment we heard of the story of the so-called missing election materials, we suspected it was a plan highly orchestrated to disenfranchised the electorates in these polling units.
Our suspicion is now fully confirmed as INEC official who supposed to commence the exercise by 8:30am and round up by 3:30 refused to show up in most of the polling units even up to this time (5:30pm) that we are addressing you.
Prospective voters who hitherto troop out in mass at about 6:30am to excercise their franchise got frustrated haven spent the whole day with no INEC official in sight.
Some of the polling units which INEC did not show up at all are;
1. Polling Unit 043- Ung Rimi Rukuba Road,
2. Polling Unit 044- Ung Chai Kabong,45-Bauda Kabong
4. Polling Unit 046-Alama juction Rukuba Road.
5. Polling Unit 047- Ung Chawai kabong,48-Utan PHC.
In some other polling units, the ballot papers supplied where far less than the number PVCs collected.
It is for this reason that we call on INEC to reschedule a date for the affected polling units in the spirit of fairness and objectivity being the hollmark of democracy.
Thank you
Signed: Stephen
Coordinator Plateau Patriotic Youths For Democracy and Good Governance
Nigeria Star News 