How APC took advantage of bombings in Borno on election day to rig – PDP agent tells tribunal

A Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, collation agent for the 2019 presidential election in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State, Bukar Bukar Petrol, has claimed that the All Progressives Congress, APC, took advantage of the bombings that occurred in Damboa town during the February 23, 2019 election, to rig the election.

Petrol, who was the 27th petitioner witness, made the disclosure at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal in Abuja on Thursday.

He said due to the insecurity situation caused by Boko Haram insurgency in Borno State, the 100 polling units in the 10 wards of the Damboa Local Government Area were sited on the premises of the Local Government Secretariat in Damboa town.

The PDP agent stated that the distribution of sensitive electoral materials in the local government area which ought to commence by 4am was deliberately delayed by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, officers till 8am and voting actually commenced at some few minutes past 10am.

Petrol informed the tribunal that in the course of voting, there were bombings in the area which made everybody to scamper to safety.

He said when they returned to the venue of the election, the Civilian Joint Task Force, had taken over the election and the APC allegedly took advantage of the situation to rig.

According to Petrol: “When the explosions occurred, everybody ran away. After the explosions, the Civilian JTF took over the election and the 3rd respondent (APC) took advantage of the situation to rig the election.”

Petrol said he subsequently reported the incident to the Divisional Police Officer, the military intelligence, the Criminal Investigation Bureau, the military police, head of the National Orientation Agency and his party, the PDP.