#KogiDecides: List of INEC staff declared missing in Kogi

By Adebayo Obajemu

Reports reaching Business Hallmark have it that some ad-hoc staff that took part in Saturday’s Kogi State governorship election are missing. They were posted to Olamaboro Local Government Area (LGA) by the commission.

AccordIng to Business Hallmark sources, they were declared missing around 1 a.m. on Sunday during the final collation of results in the local government.

The missing INEC staff include Presiding Officers (POs) and Assistant Presiding Officers (APOs) of polling units in Imane ward 1 and 2 of Olamaboro LGA of Kogi State.

Many of the ad-hoc staff used by INEC are corps members of the NYSC.

Also missing are results from the polling units where they served .

Announcing the development, the LGA Election Officer, in-charge of collating and announcing the local government’s results, Garba Mahmood, said the INEC ad-hoc staff were reported missing after the observation of some police officers who raised concern that they were last seen shortly after voting ended at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

The election was characterized by irregularities, violence, ballot box snatching, intimidation of voters and vote buying in many parts of the state.

Below is the list of the missing staff as provided by INEC and the police at the Olamaboro collation centre.

Olamaboro III

Unit 002- (1) Oladipo Victor

(2) Achimi Samson P-08136653704

(3) Umar Faruk Sani-08032745663

(4) Adama Ibrahim

Unit 006- (1) Abayomi Roseline E.

(2) Onuche Abel E

(3) Onojah Emmanuel

(4) Umoru Mariam-

Unit 013- (1) Effiong Akwaowo-Ukpe

(2) Mattew Agada

(3) Samuel Ibrahim

(4) Sado Bello

Imane 1

Unit 006- (1) Nzeofia Kingsley- Presiding Officer (PO)

(2) Hassan Musa- Assistant Presiding Officer 1 (APO 1)

(3) Ekele Michael – Assistant Presiding Officer 2(APO 2)

(4) Ahmed Mattew – Assistant Presiding Officer 3(APO 3 )

Unit 012 -(1) Ovioawho Omonefe B.- Presiding Officer (PO)

(2) Baba Eric -Assistant Presiding Officer 1 (APO 1)

(3) Gabriel Samuel Assistant Presiding Officer 2 (APO 2)

Unit 015-(1) Nwafor Emmanuel- Presiding Officer (PO)

(2) Agada Ochegeugwa- Assistant Presiding Officer 1(APO 1)

(3) Ojih Martina- Assistant Presiding Officer 2(APO 2)

Unit 016 (1) Ezugwu Stanley- Presiding Officer (PO)

(2) Mohammed Abdullahi- Assistant Presiding Officer 1(APO 1)

(3) Mohammed Ibrahim- Assistant Presiding Officer 2(APO 2)

(4) Adejoh Joy- Assistant Presiding Officer 3(APO 3)

Unit 022 (1) Adebisi Comfort – Presiding Officer (PO)

(2) Yusuf Sofiat- Assistant Presiding Officer 1(APO 1)

(3) Onoja Alice- Assistant Presiding Officer 2(APO 2)

(4) Onuche Anoja

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress candidate in the Kogi West senatorial district re-run election, Smart Adeyemi, has defeated Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ijumu local government.

Incidentally, both candidates are from the local government.

While Mr Adeyemi is an indigene of Iyara, Dino Melaye is from Aiyetoro, a neighbouring village.

The final result for the local government was announced on Sunday morning.

Mr Adeyemi’s APC polled a total of 11,627 votes while Mr Melaye’s PDP amassed 7,647 votes in the local government, according to the electoral commission, INEC. The candidate of the SDP, Natasha Akpoti, came a distant third with 49 votes.

In a related development, the Kogi State Governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yahaya Bello, has defeated his closest rivals, Musa Wada of the PDP and Natasha Akpoti of SDP, in Okene Local Government Area of Kogi Central.

The governor polled 112,764 votes to defeat Ms Akpoti of the SDP and Mr Wada of the PDP who both scored 50 and 139 votes respectively.

The result from the local government was signed by the collation officer of the local government, Olanrewaju Samuel, an associate professor.

The local government’s results is expected to be strongly contested as it claims none of the PDP or SDP could poll a total of 200 votes in all the polling units in the local government.

Okene local government is part of Kogi Central senatorial district. Ms Akpoti had criticised the conduct of the election in the senatorial district saying no real election took place there