How INEC Rigged Mikang State Assembly In Favour Of Plateau Speaker, Sule Thomas-Witnesses Claim

Yakubu Busari

The former Majority Leader, Hon. Daniel Naanlong Gapyil has claimed that the victory of Rt. Hon . Sule Thomas the current Speaker of the 10th Assembly was declared in error owning to massive irregularities and over-voting and noncompliance to the electoral guidelines of 2022.

Sule Thomas has been declared the winner of the state house of Assembly, Mikang constituency fiercely contested election but the opposition parties, have claimed the poll was rigged and a sham.

Naanlong Daniel called for the election to be canceled, alleging breaches of the Electoral Act and possible collusion by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to doctor the result in Mr. Thomas’s favour.

Besides; the allegations have been denied by INEC and Thomas, PDP   the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

As for the opposition parties, they have so far not offered any concrete proof to back up their allegations.

PW1, Mr. Daniel Ishaya Shambam of Piyapun district of Mikang LGA of Plateau State a farmer /politician told the tribunal that he was a polling unit agent of the All Progressives Congress, APC, of code 004 in Kodes polling unit identified his statement through signature.

The witness in paragraph 7 which he referred to CTC form EC8A1 sought to tender in evidence but was not objected to by the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd respondents they all reserved the objections to the final written address.

While on cross-examination by the 1st respondent INEC on the annulment of the results that were marked as exhibits P-PB,” Do you sign exhibit P9 at the polling unit “(yes).

Then, witness how many signatures you have, PW1, I have many. Yes, voters were accredited in my polling unit before voting commenced with the BVAS machine after that voters are allowed to vote, yes, my lord.

Sunday Oyawole asked please confirm to this tribunal how many signatures you have,” My Lord, I have three different signatures which were applied admitted in evidence and marked exhibit R1. Did the presiding officer pen his signature yes, my lord. And also confirmed that he was not in charge.

Pw1 when asked to prove the allegations of over-voting, he said the total votes was 634 which is already in the voters’ record, and also confirmed that the rejected votes are 5 votes and the accredited is 629 voters.

According to him the witness statements were taken in Hausa Language and translated into English.

However, the PW2 is one Yompet Gani of Garkawa of Mikang LGA of Longkurum polling unit a farmer politician statement dated 7/03/2023 of code unit 001 was also admitted in evidence and marked exhibit B1 spoken in the Hausa language.

Fears of rigging emerged on the morning of the election when a popular influencer alleged on social media that INEC’s IReV portal, where results are meant to be uploaded, had been breached by hackers. This post has been viewed 1.4 million times