Opposition candidates reject Nigerian election results

[News_Editor]

Opposition candidates reject Nigerian election results

2011-04-13 03:01:56 GMT+7 (ICT)

ENUGU, NIGERIA (BNO NEWS) -- Opposition candidates in Enugu State on Tuesday announced their rejection to the results of the past elections, the Guardian newspaper reported.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) previously announced the victory of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on last Saturday's National Assembly elections.

The Conference of Candidates of Opposition Political Parties alleged that there was mass inducement of the electorate at the polling centers in Enugu, evidence of multiple voting by individuals from the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) recruited by PDP.

Due to these claims, opposition asked INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega to cancel the election. PDP state chairman, Vita Abba, dismissed claims of inducement and labeled them as "the greatest lies of the century."

In addition, opposition parties said that ballot sheets were hugely thumb printed by NYSC members in favor of the PDP candidates. In return, the corps members allegedly received large sums of money.

NYSC State Coordinator, Nathaniel Okpongete, denied any illegal link with PDP aimed at influencing the results of the National Assembly elections as well as receiving money from PDP candidates.

The Action Congress of Nigeria party (ACN) pointed out that INEC's Nasir Ayilara, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), colluded with PDP to rig the elections in Kwande, Ushongo, Gboko, Buruku and Tarka.

The ACN candidate for Benue State, Steve Ugbah, denounced that elections in all the local councils in Benue North East and Benue South were rigged in favor of the PDP. He added that army men were used to snatch ballot papers.

The National Assembly elections were rescheduled twice as INEC considered that there were outstanding issues to be met. Nigerians will go to the polls on April 16 to choose a president and on April 26 governor and legislature elections will be held in all of Nigeria's 36 states.

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