The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Borno Central Senatorial District election, Muhammed Kumaila, has implored the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission to investigate an alleged attempt by its officials to tamper with evidence to be presented before the Election Petitions Tribunal.
Kumaila said his team had already petitioned the Inspector-General of Police and the Director-General of the Directorate of State Security Services to investigate the matter and bring culprits to book.
“We therefore call on you sir, to undertake an urgent and independent investigation into this matter, in order to fish out bad eggs from within the INEC administration who are hell bent on tarnishing the image of the electoral umpire,” he stated.
According to him, following the outcome of the election, which he lost to the candidate of All Progressives Congress, Kaka Shehu Lawal, he filed a petition before the Election Petitions Tribunal in Maiduguri.
The politician said he also subsequently obtained a court order to inspect materials used for the elections which include the ballot boxes, used and unused ballot papers, and had, as well, obtained certified true copies of the result and collation sheets among others.
When contacted, INEC Head of Department (Voter Education and Publicity) in Maiduguri, Abba Liberty, directed journalists to the Borno Resident Electoral Commissioner.
“I am not in a position to respond. I think you should contact the Resident Electoral Commissioner. I have restrictions on what I can respond to please. That is the nature of my work and that is my stand,” he stated.
Kumaila in the letter dated March 24, obtained by journalists in Abuja, on Tuesday, and addressed to the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, alleged that almost a month after the Presidential and National Assembly elections which held on February 25, 2023, some ad hoc staff of the commission in Borno State were caught thumbprinting and stuffing ballot boxes within the premises of the Maiduguri INEC office.
He alleged that while his team of lawyers were undertaking the inspection of materials on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, they discovered some INEC ad-hoc staff were sorting out, rearranging and counting ballot papers and stuffing them in different ballot boxes in respect of Mafa, Kala Balge and Dikwa Local Governments.
The letter read in part, “Our inspectors immediately raised an alarm and accordingly reported the incident to the Borno State Resident Electoral Commissioner. They drew the attention of the REC to the implication of the actions of the Ad-Hoc staff, which amounted to tampering with evidence.
“The REC assured our team that the Ad-hoc Staff were only rearranging the documents that were dumped on them by the respective Local Government Electoral Officers who brought the materials from the local governments. Although we were not satisfied with the explanation, we gave them the benefit of the doubt and continued with the inspection.
“To our surprise, by the next day, Thursday, March 23, 2023, our inspectors this time caught red handed some Ad-Hoc staff, actually thumbprinting ballot papers and stuffing them into Ballot Boxes for Mafa Local Government right inside the premises of INEC office in Maiduguri,” Kumaila further explained.
He continued, “Our Inspectors immediately arrested the two staff involved in the thumb printing and stuffing of Ballot Boxes and took them to the Bulumkutu Police Station together with the bundles of ballot already thumb printed papers and the indelible ink they were using. We were surprised that no official of the Maiduguri INEC office took interest to accompany our team to the police station in order to ensure the arrest of the Ad-Hoc staff and undertake investigation of any possible crimes.
“The police officials took the statements of the complainant and the two Ad Hoc staff and arrested the two Ad-hoc staff. They also invited the Electoral Officer for Mafa Local Government who brought the materials to the Maiduguri INEC office from Mafa Local Government to give a statement. Our team was informed by the police, at Bulumkutu Police Station to come back the next day, so that the case will be transferred to the Maiduguri Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation and prosecution,” the PDP senatorial candidate disclosed.
