PDP agent names APC officials allegedly involved in electoral fraud

A local government collation officer for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the presidential election, on Tuesday, named two agents of the ruling All Progressives Congress whom he accused of voting for others at the election.

The collation officer, Abubakar Abdullahi, said the agents are Isah Haliru and Ibrahim Mukhtar.

Mr Abdullahi was speaking during his cross-examination at the continuation of hearings of the PDP’s petition against the re-election of President Muhammadu Buhari.

According to the witness, agents of Mr Buhari’s APC at the polling unit where he supervised elections in Yobe State voted on behalf of the voters at the elections.

He added that APC electoral officers brought thugs who intimidated and harassed them during the elections.

“We tried to stop the APC agents, security officers and myself, from voting for the voters. The APC ward councillor brought more than 10 people to harass me but I was saved by some elderly men in the village.”

Mr Abdullahi said he reported the matter to security agents at the polling unit.

He added during further cross-examination that the APC agents were arrested, though they were never prosecuted.

Mr Abdullahi said the incidence of electoral fraud at his polling unit was so grievous that he decided not to sign his copy of the result sheet, the form EC8C.

This allegation amongst others intends to strengthen the PDP’s point that the February 23 elections were marred by widespread irregularities, a constitutional basis for the nullification of elections in Nigeria.

Among the five major grounds upon which the PDP is anchoring its petition is its contention that Mr Buhari, who is the second respondent, was not duly elected by the majority of lawful votes cast at the election.

Though one of the states affected by cases of insecurity in Nigeria’s northern region, the APC emerged winners of the Presidential election in Yobe State with over 450, 000 votes more than those polled by the PDP which came second in the state.

While the APC polled 497,914 votes, PDP came second with 50,763 in the election.