Rotimi Amaechi alleged that some politicians engage in the theft of result sheets at polling unit level during elections, a practice he said puts the lives of ad-hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission at risk.
He made the remarks during an engagement with a group of youths, where he reflected on his long involvement in Nigeria’s electoral process and the recurring challenges associated with vote management.
He stressed that the polling unit remains the most decisive stage of elections, noting that voting, sorting, and counting of ballots are all conducted there.
According to him, any interference at this stage compromises transparency and undermines the credibility of outcomes announced later in the electoral chain.
Amaechi expressed concern that electoral officials, particularly ad-hoc staff, are often subjected to pressure, intimidation, and security risks while handling sensitive election materials such as result sheets.
He warned that the conduct of some political actors places unnecessary burden on these young workers who are deployed to ensure smooth election administration.
He further called on citizens to insist on full transparency at polling units, including public counting of votes and proper documentation of results before transmission to collation centres.
He argued that sustained voter vigilance and community presence could reduce opportunities for manipulation.
The former governor maintained that collective civic action at collation points could also discourage malpractice, noting that political actors are often constrained when confronted with large, attentive crowds determined to safeguard their votes.
0 Comments