By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
A presiding officer identified as Josephine Obozuwa has uploaded a result of over-voting in the Edo State Governorship Election to the results viewing (IReV) portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This is just as PDP in a statement issued by its national publicity secretary demands for the prosecution of Josephine Obazuwa.
The Osholo Primary School, Osholo polling unit is located in Weppa Ward in Etsako East and has the polling unit code of 12/08/04/009.
The result sheet for the polling unit uploaded to the INEC IReV shows that 493 persons registered to vote at the polling unit. However, only 213 persons were accredited to vote.
Further checks revealed that Obozuwa assigned 352 votes to the All Progressives Congress (APC), 52 votes to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and one vote each to the Labour Party and the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
Total number of valid votes at the polling unit, therefore, amounted to 406 votes. With a total of 213 accredited voters at the polling unit, this is a clear case of over-voting.
Meanwhile, at the time of filing this report, over 93% of polling unit results have been uploaded to the IReV portal as at 8:26 pm. A total of 4,239 out of 4,519 results have been submitted to the portal.
Over-voting: PDP reacts
Meanwhile, the PDP has reacted over the obvious over-voting case at the Osholo Primary School, Osholo polling unit.
In a statement signed by Debo Ologunagba, National Publicity Secretary of the party, the PDP demanded the prosecution of Obozuwa.
The statement reads: “The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) demands the immediate arrest and prosecution of an APC-compromised INEC Presiding Officer (PO) in the Edo State Governorship election, Obozuwa Josephine, for brazenly allocating non-existent votes to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The election result sheet for Osholo Primary School Polling Unit, Weppa in Etsako East Local Government Area shows that whereas 213 voters were accredited, Obozuwa Josephine criminally and fraudulently allocated 352 votes to the APC, 52 to the PDP and one to the LP, giving a total of 406 as votes cast.
“It is highly provocative that the INEC PO Obozuwa Josephine could be so compromised by the APC to audaciously and feloniously allocate unearned 352 votes to the APC above the 213 voters officially accredited in that Polling Unit.
“This reckless act by Obozuwa Josephine is reminiscent of the criminal conduct of the former Adamawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mallam Hudu Ari, during the 2023 Governorship election in that State, which provoked violent protest by the people and nearly led to the loss of lives of INEC officials.
“Obozuwa Josephine should take note that this criminal action by her could provoke similar consequences.
“Our Party holds that Obozuwa Josephine’s action is one of the many cases of electoral fraud, ballot manipulation, betrayal of public trust and crime against the State perpetrated in this election by the APC and unscrupulous INEC officials which must not go unpunished.
“Nigerians can recall that the PDP had on several occasions alerted that the APC had compromised the INEC system by planting APC members as Polling Officers to manipulate the electoral process and alter results in favour of the APC.
“The PDP demands that INEC effects the immediate arrest and prosecution of the indicted Presiding Officer Obozuwa Josephine, cancel the election in Osholo Primary School Polling Unit and take steps to address other such infractions in this election.
“Our Party again commends the people of Edo State for their vigilance and urges them to remain resilient till the end”.