THE Senatorial candidate of the Labour Party in the Federal Capital Territory, Hajiya Ireti Kingibe, on Monday, raised the alarm on how political thugs were allegedly recruited to rig the election following the cancellation of results from polling units in Bwari and Gwagwalada Area Councils by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
She, however, expressed optimism that the will of the people must prevail.
While alleging that thugs attacked some collation centres and tore presidential result sheets, without being arrested, the candidate said she would stand her ground and ensure that the right thing was done.
According to her, due to an error on the total votes cast, the returning officer alleged over-voting and cancelled election results in the Area Councils.
Ireti, wife of a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babagana Kingibe, stated these in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Monday evening.
She said, “I am being told that the person was writing the result 2 + 2 equals to five. The judges said it is over-voting, the electoral officer said it is an error from that person, whether he did it on purpose or accidentally, all the results sheets show that there was no overvoting in any of the polling units. So how can you now cancel all the Area councils?
“We have watched them, millions have been bribed in this place, even up to million dollars have been put in this place to try to take the seat and it is not going to happen.
“I am going to the collation centre to let them know that we are not standing for this. We have watched them, they cancel polling units where we are strong, thugs go to INEC collation centre, and they tore electoral materials.
“Thugs went to Gwarinpa collation centre, they attacked the people there, they tore presidential result sheets, they went away.
“Fortunately, the Returning Officer had most of the results with her. They have been looking for reasons to cancel Osuma, and Bwari, those are all our strongholds, they couldn’t, and then suddenly they found an error on the total votes, they said it is over voting, the Electoral Officer told them it is not over voting, it is an error on from whoever wrote it, you cannot penalize the candidate for it. Look at the result sheet, you will see that there is no over-voting on any of them, they said it is not their job to look at result sheets, what kind of a country are we in?
“What the establishment and the people in charge of this country are looking for, if they are not careful they will find it because those of us at the bottom have heard enough.
“When we complain about anything, they will say we should go to the poll, we have gone to the polls, but they are still insisting that it is not good enough. The will of the people must prevail.
“I am just trying to tell my supporters to be calm because the margin is very high to stop the victory. They should relax and have faith in the FCT INEC. I am confident that eventually, the results will soon be announced. Most of us are confident that it is just a matter of time.
“They should just relax, the results are on the streets. They should be confident.”