Investigation conducted on data uploaded by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to its Election Result Viewing Portal, IRev, has shown that presidential election results for Lagos states in the Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly Elections were altered after the conclusion of voting.
THE WHISTLER harvested the uploaded votes uploaded to the Commission’s website and found out that many results were altered with figures changed after voting and tallying had ended
Where these alterations took place could not be verified but captured results seen on the Commission’s website for a number of places showed contradictions in signatures of polling agents, some of which appeared twice, and other infractions.
For instance, for Oshodi/Isolo local government, at the Mafoluku ward, Junction of Airport/Ogunkoya Street 11 with polling unit 016, the first uploaded result showed the All Progressives Congress, APC, scored three (3) votes while the Labour Party scored 40 votes.
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, scored six (6) votes, the African Democratic Congress, ADC, scored two (2) and the Action Democratic Party, ADP, scored one (1).
A careful check of the EC8A uploaded into the INEC website on February 28, three days after the conduct of the election at exactly 10:31:50 pm showed that the APC score was changed to 23 with the addition of figure 2.
One Kayode signed as the agent of the APC for the party.
But on the column of the Labour Party, no alteration and no agent signed for the party.
It was also observed that the form has no official stamp from the commission to confer legitimacy.
At the conclusion of the election, results are expected to be tallied, agents sign and the results stamped in the presence of all the party agents, security agents, observers and others.
A copy each is then given to interested parties.
One Abdulrahman Mistura was the presiding officer at the polling unit.
In order to legitimise the exercise, he altered the tally on the total number of used ballot papers, writing 77 and then cancelling it before writing 80 where a signature was appended beside it.
A signature was also signed on the APC column where a graphic alteration was made.
Our Correspondent observed over 12 different Form EC 8A with alterations at the Mafoluku ward, Oshodi/Isolo Local Government alone.
Also, there were cases of uploading of wrong forms into the website. For instance, Form EC 8A(11) was meant for the House of Representatives elections.
But after the election on Saturday, results for Ajeromi/Ifelodun local government, Ago Hausa Ward with polling unit number 002 called 24, Bale Street, were uploaded on March 1, 2023 at exactly 10:48:04am into the portal for the presidential election.
The form showed the Labour Party had no candidate therefore no score at the election.
It was further observed that the Labour Party score appears to match the official situation room score garnered by the PDP.
The PDP had said the Labour Party’s score in the presidential election was 983,069 while the APC scored 155501 and PDP scored 101,039.
The Labour Party has been disputing its votes in the state, alleging it scored more than the official votes announced by the electoral umpire.
THE WHISTLER reported that the INEC declared Obi winner of the Lagos election, securing 582,454 to defeat Tinubu who scored 572,606.
The PDP’s candidate, Atiku Abubakar, scored 75,750 votes to come third.
But it’s the alterations in most polling units in various wards across Apapa local government that appear more rampant and widescale.
Most of the results uploaded to the INEC website showed tippex was used to alter the results.
A cursory look at the scores by Obi showed that the alterations may have affected his score as declared by the INEC with Apapa LG having 11 wards and 374 polling units.
Alterations were even more pronounced in one of the largest polling units in the state. Alimosho has 11 wards but has 1545 polling units.
So far, only Ipaja South, ward 07 with 163 polling units and Pleasure/Oke-Ado, ward 10 with 105 polling units have seen their results from the polling units uploaded 100% but with access restrictions on most of the documents raising concern about transparency.
For instance, the polling unit at Lion of Judah by Power Line has access restrictions. It was uploaded exactly at 1:20:11 pm on March 1, 2023, four days after the conclusion of the election.
Investigation also uncovered an unassailable lead by Obi during the election.
In most polling units which our Correspondent studied, the Labour Party candidate in most cases established over 300-500% lead.
For instance, in polling unit 018, Along BT. 3rd Avenue 34 Road IV, Ipaja South Ward, Alimosho LG, Obi scored 111 to Tinubu’s 034. The presiding officer was Saheed Comfort.
The result was uploaded exactly 5:30:05 pm on February 28, 2023, three days after the election.
At the same ward, polling unit 027, Off Street, Near Federal Bus Stop, it was observed that the result was altered with a tippex.
The earlier result showed APC scored four (4) but it was adjusted to 71, while the Labour Party’s score was adjusted to 56.
The presiding officer was Olumuyiwa Omolade Ayodele.
One Alejo-Okuwaseyi Sunday signed for the APC, Chuka Ebene signed for the Labour Party.
The biro used during the tallying of results in that unit, like all the units’ votes, was different.
The strong score of Obi was also observed at the front of Nigerian Airways Quarters, polling unit 007, same Ipaja South Ward, where he scored 85 votes to Tinubu’s 28 votes while the PDP scored 17, which is likely to raise concern about the official result declared by INEC for Lagos State.
Ogbonna Praise was the presiding officer. One Austine Bassey signed for the APC as an agent while Helen Adegbite signed as an agent for the APC. Deborah Onisipe signed for the PDP.
Again, it was observed that the font showed a different pen was used to sign and tally the result.
A check conducted on the results uploaded to INEC’s website for Agege LG showed most of the results were altered with how they were tippexed.
For instance, the result for polling unit 032, 11 Agege Bye-Pass Capitol Road, Isale/Mangoro ward, was altered for the APC and the Labour Party.
It was not easily known what the two parties scored but the uploaded result showed the APC scored 57 and the Labour Party scored 41 votes.
The PDP’s result was also tippexed with a score of 14 being the new score on the uploaded file.
A different pen colour was used to sign by the parties’ respective agents. One Kaka Morayon sighed for the APC, Nurudeen Dawodu signed for the PDP.
Curiously, no agent signed for the Labour Party.
The presiding officer was Ojelabi Deborah with the result uploaded on March 1, 2023, 6:48:14am, four days after the completion of the election.
Another tippexed result at polling unit 015, Glover Road, Ikoyi Ward, Eti-Osa LG, showed Obi scored 113 while Tinubu scored 40, and the PDP nine.
Adigwmun Lasbat signed as an agent for the APC while Victor James signed for the Labour Party and Catherine Isog signed for the PDP.
The presiding officer simply signed his name as Mate on the result that was uploaded on March 1, 2023 2023 6:48:32 am four days after the election.
