LP’s Labaran Maku Alleges Ballot Snatching in Nasarawa North By-Election

Labour Party candidate for the Nasarawa North Senatorial by-election, Labaran Maku, has alleged widespread irregularities during Saturday’s poll, citing malfunctioning Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), inadequate data, and reported cases of ballot paper snatching. Speaking after casting his vote at Wakama Clinic, Maku said his accreditation and voting were “smooth,” but many voters at the […]

Labour Party candidate for the Nasarawa North Senatorial by-election, Labaran Maku, has alleged widespread irregularities during Saturday’s poll, citing malfunctioning Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), inadequate data, and reported cases of ballot paper snatching.

Speaking after casting his vote at Wakama Clinic, Maku said his accreditation and voting were “smooth,” but many voters at the unit were stranded because “the beavers could not capture their fingerprints.”

He urged INEC staff to switch to facial recognition since voter cards and the register carry both fingerprints and facial data.

“There was no reason for anybody to wait until the fingerprint alone is accepted. You can use facial recognition and let people vote,” he said.

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The former minister said the problems were not isolated, alleging that there were many cases of malfunctioning BVAS at Wakama Central, Wakama Clinic, and across Wamba communities.

“These are small, small things that happen to make us not look serious as a people and as a nation,” he said.

Maku further alleged electoral malpractices in several areas, including, according to him, multiple printing of ballot papers at Alushi Watch School, ballot snatching by a “notorious government official” in Ningo bohar, and thumb-printing incidents in Moro electoral wards.

He claimed the snatched ballots were allegedly being printed on a farm of a politician and smuggled into collation centres.

He said voting started peacefully but cautioned it was too early to conclude, alleging that violence and manipulation usually occur during collation.

He appealed to security agencies to be very active as results move from polling units to wards, LGAs, and the senatorial collation centre.

“It’s not about me accepting results or not accepting results. It’s the process, the transparency of the process that we are all concerned with. It’s about the country winning. Democracy will prosper the nation if we allow it to be transparent.”

Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress candidate for the Nasarawa North Senatorial District by-election, Halilu Danladi Envwulaza, has expressed confidence of victory after casting his vote in Nasarawa Eggon.

Speaking to reporters after voting, Envwulanza described the voter turnout as “very encouraging and impressive,” attributing it to his standing as a “household name” in Nasarawa Eggon.

Assessing the electoral process, he commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for what its preparedness.

“I doff my hat for INEC for the process that they have put in place. It has been hitch-free. Materials were distributed yesterday to the ward levels and this morning they were moved to the polling units. There hasn’t been any complaints so far. So, I rate INEC 90%. Their staff have been doing extremely well,” he said.

Envwulanza said reports from supporters in in the Senatorial zone indicated the process was “going on smoothly and peacefully.”

He acknowledged only one incident of disturbance in Wakama, adding that it had been put under security control.

He urged electorate to remain peaceful before and after the election, describing the people of Nasarawa North as peace-loving.