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• Politicians risking lives of INEC staff by stealing result sheets, Amaechi warns

Chuks Okocha in Abuja

Presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has alleged there’s a fresh and coordinated attempt by desperate elements within the ruling establishment to manipulate the democratic process and deny Nigerians the right to freely choose their next president.

This was as his running mate, Rotimi Amaechi, has accused politicians of stealing result sheets at unit level during polls, inadvertently putting the lives of INEC staff at risk.

In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku disclosed that he had received credible information indicating that renewed efforts might be underway to use political and legal machinations to keep the ADC off the ballot ahead of the 2027 general election.

Atiku said there was a coordinated onslaught by anti-democratic elements within the ruling party aimed at ensuring that the ADC was excluded from next year’s ballot.

“We are fully aware of their plots. While they seek to sow confusion within the opposition, we know their real target is the ADC because it represents the most credible alternative.

“We, therefore call on all Nigerians—not just ADC members and supporters—to rise in defense of democracy and reject any attempt by the ruling party to cherry-pick which opposition parties are permitted to participate in the next general election.

“Our message to the APC and the hooded men plotting in dark chambers is simple: you may conspire, but you will not succeed. If the APC is truly confident in its popularity, why is it so terrified of the ADC?” Atiku queried.

While hoping that the information did not materialise, Atiku said recent developments have made it impossible to dismiss such warnings lightly.

“The pattern has become all too familiar. First, institutions that ought to be neutral are drawn into partisan contests. Then, frivolous litigations suddenly gain unusual momentum.

“Administrative powers are selectively deployed. Political pressure is mounted behind closed doors. Before long, democracy itself becomes the casualty,” he said.

Amaechi: Politicians Steal Result Sheets, Risk Lives of INEC Staff

Presidential running mate of the ADC, Rotimi Amaechi, has accused politicians of stealing result sheets at unit level during polls, amd by implication, risking the lives of INEC staff members.

Amaechi urged youths to stand and see results countered before leaving the polling stations, explaining that it’s when they leave the polling units that the outcome of the polling could be tampered with.

Amaechi warned that politicians steal result sheets at the risk of the lives of ad-hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Addressing a group of youths, the former Rivers State governor said, “On the day of election in your Ward and in your Unit, you  finish voting, you stand for the counting. I have been a politician all my life, I have never worked anywhere before.

“I left university in 1987 and joined politics that same year, so you won’t teach me. Unit level is where they vote.

“Politicians steal result sheets at the unit level risking the life of the INEC adhoc officer. As he comes, show us the result sheet or you are not going because politicians don’t care about your life, some parents must stop their children who want to be adhoc staff.”

He charged Nigerians to always insist on their votes being counted at the polling units during elections, adding: “If there is a result sheet, we will queue up and when they finish counting, if you don’t upload it you are not going

“If we finish the election and there are one million persons in front of INEC and trust me if you do all these, ADC can mobilize one million people to INEC office.

“Don’t forget that there is an election that would have been rigged in Nigeria, the election that made Kwankwaso governor, how many of you remember that, when they looked outside and saw 500 persons what did they do, they announced.”