About 600 Ballot Papers For The House Of Representatives Were Missing On The Eve Of The Election In Langtang South-Dalung

Yakubu Busari

The Former Minister of Sports and Youths Development Barrister Solomon Selcap Dalung has disclosed that about 600 ballot papers for the House of Representatives were missing on the eve of the election in Langtang North /South Federal Constituency 25th February 2023 general elections results in sheet before the voting exercise.

Dalung condemned in its totality that, “I won’t be among those advocating for the sack of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), boss Professor Mahmoud Yakubu because of his abysmal failure in the just concluded presidential/Senatorial election.

Pointing out that doing that might be a gross disappointment to Nigeria which is like foolishly giving a madman a box of matches at the filing station forgetting that he will ignite the whole place.

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) chieftain stated this during a world press conference held at Novel suite Hotel Rayfield , Jos South LGA .

Dalung challenged INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmoud Yakubu to remember the promise he made to the people of Nigerians with respect to BVAS and the transmission of results from polling Units.

Solomon Dalung accused Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of working against the provision of the electoral act during the 25th February 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections.

He contested the House of Representatives seat for Langtang North/South Federal constituency under the platform of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, and admitted that the electoral umpire, INEC squandered the confidence of Nigerians and must address the country immediately before the 11th March 2023 governorship and state Assembly polls.

He further said INEC’s failure to reach out to Nigerians immediately is going to place the fundamental credibility question on the entire election process, which would rupture the stability of the country.

According to Dalung, INEC has mobilized Nigerians successfully to believe in the workability of the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System, BVAS, a system that has been tested in some States like; Ekiti, Osun, Anambra, and some bye-elections in Kogi and it has proven successful and earn the confidence of Nigerians.

And lamented what turned out to be the situation on the 25th February 2023, appeared to be a negation on the impression created to Nigerians, as this is generating a lot of tension in the country as so many complaints trailing the collation of the results, the deployment of BVAS and then violence that has characterized some part of Nigeria.

He said as one of the actors who contested the 2023 election, the circumstances surrounding my loss and the choice left for me now is I would test the judiciary.

“If you take the provision of the electoral act as it has relate to downloading the result, currently, if you go to the INEC portal and look at the result of Federal House of Representatives Langtang North and South, you can only find in Langtang North  5 wards were downloaded and those 5 wards were about 30℅ of the polling units.

He further added that on the other side of Langtang South, it is the same situation, meaning that there is noncompliance with the provision of the electoral law which said results shall be downloaded at the polling units.

 We also discovered that about 600 ballot papers for the House of Representatives were missing on the eve of the election in Langtang South.

And challenged Some of the results that were declared by INEC which is in sharp contrast and disagreement with the results our agents are holding.

In one of the polling units where they declared the result, we scored only 20 votes but our agent on the other side is holding a result where we scored 141 votes.

Dalung, however, acknowledged that the speculations originating mostly from INEC that some people are trying to hack into its server is nothing but clearly demonstrated the failure of INEC.

While bearing his mind on the call for the cancelation of the polls and the resignation of INEC chairman Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu emanated at the quarter of the society, Dalung said that the calling for the resignation of the INEC boss now is a toxic way of advocating for anarchy because you can’t ask the referee to abandoned the match midway.

He stressed that when such happened, you will be calling for chaos. He would have to conclude. It is at the end of the conclusion of his exercise that we can evaluate him and be congratulating him with a sack if that is what he deserved. But asking him to resign now is the same thing as giving a madman matches at the fueling station.