INEC denies report of staff ‘caught with pre-filled result sheets’ in Enugu

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied reports that one of its employees was caught with pre-filled result sheets in Enugu state.

Earlier in the day, there were unconfirmed reports that an INEC official was beaten to a pulp by angry voters for producing pre-filled result sheets for the rerun election at a polling unit in Igboeze north/Udenu federal constituency.

In the said sheet, 443 votes were said to have been allocated to the Peoples Democratic Party candidate (PDP), 31 votes to All Progressives Congress (APC) and 15 votes to Labour Party candidates.

But in a statement on Saturday, INEC said none of its employees was involved in the incident.

“Our attention has been drawn to some fake narratives circulating on the social media that a certain employee of the Commission was caught in Enugu State with a pre-filled result sheet for the rerun election held today,” the statement reads.

“However, the said individual is not an employee of INEC. He is unknown to the Commission. The public should disregard the report.”

On Saturday, INEC conducted by-elections in some states following the death or resignation of members of the national and state assemblies.

The polls cover two senatorial districts (Ebonyi south and Yobe east); four federal constituencies (Shanga/Ngaski/Yauri federal constituency of Kebbi state, Surulere I Federal constituency of Lagos state, Akoko North East/Akoko North West Federal Constituency of Ondo state, and Jalingo/Yorro/Zing federal constituency of Taraba state).

By-elections will also hold in three state constituencies (Guma I State constituency of Benue state, Chibok state constituency of Borno state and Chikun state constituency of Kaduna state).

The electoral umpire also conducted rerun polls in 39 constituencies as a result of court orders.