CODER alleges poll fraud in Adamawa

One of the groups accredited to monitor the weekend poll in Adamawa State, the Coalition of Democrats for Electoral Reform (CODER) has reported what it dubbed ”serious cases of electoral irregularities and malpractices” perpetrated by agents of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, in collusion with some officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

In a press statement issued today by Deji Sule Odu, head of administration, CODER catalogued series of gross electoral malpractices, rigging, ballot stuffing, ballot snatching, intimidation, financial inducements, and in some locations voters and observers alike were openly harassed in some polling units and some collation centres.

According to the observer group, there were serious electoral irregularities such as the lack of result sheets at the following locations Maiha, Madagali, Ganye, Michika, Jada, Fufore, Mayo-Belwa.
“There were cases of serious disregard for due process of Voters Accreditation as stipulated in the Electoral Act. Cases of violence were also reported in these locations, deliberately perpetrated to intimidate and distract the people from exercising their basic fundamental right, the right to vote and freely choose their choice of Leader”.
CODER also observed that the high votes recorded by the PDP candidate did not match the number of accredited voters in some local council areas like Madagali. It also questioned the vote tally of 30,000 recorded for the PDP candidate, Murtala Nyako in Fufore despite poor turn out of voters.
”In many locations covered by our Observers, voting started without accreditation, result sheets were manipulated. In Kirehina, our observers reported cases of snatching of ballot papers and thumb printed ballots. Wega ward, Tur unit, Zeka unit had reported cases of violence and ballot boxes being burnt.Therefore, it is so unfortunate that in spite of the efforts put in place by INEC, some fraudulent minds were still able to perpetrate acts which discredited the transparency of the election in Adamawa state”, it said.