The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has come under fire for going ahead to collate results despite instances of alleged over voting in Saturday’s governorhip election in Kogi State.
Some stakeholders alleged that election results displayed on the IREV portal revealed cases of over voting in Okehi, Adavi, and Okene LGAs. However, the Kogi State Collation Officer, Prof. Sani Mohammed, went ahead to uphold the results.The situation has sparked concerns about the democratic process in Kogi State, with stakeholders demanding immediate intervention from INEC headquarters to address the alleged irregularities and uphold the integrity of the electoral system
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Commenting on the development, Murtala Ajaka, the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), noted that INEC cancelled results in Bayelsa over cases of over voting and urged the Commission’s headquarters to intervene in Kogi.
Speaking at a press briefing, Ajaka said, “We are being punished for being obedient to the law. We had every opportunity to inflate the result in our own local government but we decided to be on the side of the law.
“When people are oppressed, we are left with no alternative but to defend ourselves. Given the current trajectory, if this pattern continues, we will be compelled to protect our democracy, and we are committed to doing so if providence permits.”
Meanwhile, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (SDP), Senator Dino Melaye, has called for the annulment of the November 11 governorship election, citing widespread irregularities that he deems unprecedented in the state’s history.
Addressing the media at a press conference in Lokoja, the state capital, on Sunday, Melaye expressed dismay at the irregularities that marred the Saturday election across all three Senatorial Districts, describing the electoral process as ‘shameful and unhealthy’.
Melaye specifically highlighted instances in the five local governments of the Central senatorial district, where, according to him, no election took place. He claimed that manual accreditation was conducted, the Biometric Verification Authentication System (BVAS) was not utilised, and result sheets were prepared even before accreditation began, with evidence circulating in the media.
He asserted, “It is shameful that this is what our democracy has descended to,” accusing INEC of being untrustworthy, biased, and lacking neutrality.”
Melaye alleged that INEC officials and youth corps members were caught with prepared result sheets prior to the commencement of the electoral process. He further alleged that a youth corps member in possession of a prepared result and N1 million was arrested in Kogi Central.
In the same vein, Kogi activist, Austin Okai has criticised INEC, describing the decision to announce results amidst infractions as an attempt to impose a governor without the people’s mandate. Okai called for the total cancellation of results, presenting figures from Adavi, Okehi, and Okene LGAs which, according to him, indicate significant over voting.
Okai wondered how INEC could continue collating the election results it admitted is full of infractions. The infraction is all over Kogi Central he said.
“This cooked result can’t be accepted. Total cancellation is the answer,” Okai said on his Facebook wall.
