Results from across most polling units in Kwara Central and other parts of the state have shown All Progressives Congress (APC) in clear lead, especially in Ilorin where the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Bukola Saraki lost his Ajikobi polling unit 002 to the opposition.
But the APC appears to have learnt its lessons from previous elections when results were upturned overnight in favour of Saraki and his party.
Opposition figures have therefore mobilised their members to the collation centres in Ilorin and parts of Asa while security agencies and the electoral body have also been tasked to shun any attempt to manipulate results.
“With the massive beating, Saraki has suffered in the central, there are fears that he is now working with some unscrupulous elements in the INEC and some fake or real security agents to falsify results overnight,” according to a highly placed secret service official.
The source added, “We have activated monitoring mechanisms to ensure that results from polling units stay the way they were. Agents from our special squad have been deployed everywhere. Some INEC officials suspected of working for Saraki are being watched. We hope they will be careful.
“Another category of people who have been fingered are the collation officials and some academics from the higher institutions. We are told some of them are working to subvert people’s votes. We are watching them. Some may be arrested at the collation centres. We have most results from polling units already.
“Our advice is that all collating officers in Kwara should maintain their integrity, if they have any, and should not risk criminal conviction and their hard-earned career for bribes as they are all being closely monitored by all security agencies who have field reports of the election.
“The message is clear: do not subvert the genuine will and choice of the people. You are being watched very close by all and your identity is known.”
SIKIRAT SHEHU, Ilorin
