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Tag: Kogi Guber Election

  • Kogi guber: Ododo wins at Tribunal

    The Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Abuja, Monday, authenticated the election that declared Usman Ododo as the governor of Kogi State.

    In a unanimous judgment by a three-member panel of Justices of the Tribunal, it held that the petitioners failed to prove the allegations contained in their petition in accordance with the law.

    The Social Democratic Party(SPD) annd it’s candidate, Alhaji Muritala Ajaka was challenging Ododo’s election on the ground that it was conducted in gross violation of the electoral law of rigging and vote-buying.

    Chief Kanu Agabi (SAN); Alex Iziyon (SAN) and Emmanuel Ukala (SAN), who appeared for INEC, Ododo and APC respectively argued that the petitioners did not list the name of the witness in their proof of evidence and that the witness statement on oath was not front-loaded alongside the petition.

    They also contended that the petitioners served the reports of the witness’ analysis on them 20 minutes before the commencement of the proceedings.

    But Okutepa insisted that the forensic expert was listed on Page 56 of the petition as item 10, adding that his statement was also front-loaded.

  • Melaye, Ajaka Call For Nullification Of ‘Shameful’ Kogi Guber Election

    In the aftermath of the Kogi State governorship election, both Dino Melaye, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate Muritala Ajaka have faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the conduct of the governorship election in the state, calling for the nullification of the results amidst alleged irregularities and malpractices.

    During a press conference in Lokoja on Sunday, Dino Melaye strongly condemned the election, labeling it as “shameful” and asserting that it did not qualify as a genuine electoral exercise.

    Melaye criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accusing them of refusing to address the issues that marred previous elections.

    He claimed that in the central senatorial district of Kogi, accreditation was carried out manually, the Biometric Verification Authentication System (BVAS) was not utilized, and prepared result sheets were evident even before accreditation began.

    “I will start by condemning in its totality the conduct of the elections yesterday and outrightly call for the total cancellation of the election because that was not an election,” the PDP candidate said.

    “It is shameful that the unhealthy INEC refuse to realise, ameliorate or palliate the problems they created in the last presidential and governorship elections.

    “Yesterday in the five local governments of the central senatorial district in Kogi state, there was no election. Surprisingly, accreditation was done manually, the BVAS was not used. Prepared sheets manifested even before accreditation took place and evidence is all over the media.

    “So, INEC as a matter of urgency must cancel the election. In many areas where I won, my agents were told there were no available result sheets to enter the result and we have evidence to back up these claims.

    “As I speak to you, it is shameful that this is what our democracy has descended to. INEC has manifested more than before, that they cannot be trusted, they are biased, they are compromised, and they cannot be a neutral umpire.

    “INEC officials and youth corps members were caught yesterday with prepared result sheets even before the commencement of the processes. A youth corps member was arrested with a prepared result and N1 million in his bag.”

    Melaye further accused INEC officials and youth corps members of being caught with pre-prepared result sheets, suggesting a compromise of the electoral process.

    Hours earlier, social media had been flooded with alleged result sheets for the Kogi governorship election, intensifying concerns over the integrity of the electoral process.

    In a parallel move, the SDP, through its agent David Edibo, presented a petition to the State Returning Officer, urging INEC to cancel the election results from Kogi Central.

    The SDP said it did not accept the outcome of the election in the five local government areas within the senatorial district, raising objections despite opposition from the APC agent, Idris King.

    As the collation of results continued, tensions heightened with Governor Yahaya Bello and APC candidate Usman Adodo hailing from Kogi Central.

  • 2m Voters Registered Voters Set For Kogi Guber Election –INEC

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said two million registered voters are expected to vote in the Saturday off-cycle governorship election in Kogi.

    The election will hold in 3,508 poling units, spread across the 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.

    The LGAs included Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ankpa, Bassa, Dekina, Ibaji, Idah, Igalamela/Odolu, Ijumu, Kabba-Bunu, Kogi, Lokoja, Mopamuro, Ofu, Ogori-Magongo, Okene, Okehi, Olamaboro, Omala, Yagba-East, and Yagba-West.

    Speaking on preparations for the election, Dr Gabriel Longpet, the state Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), said that the commission was 100 per cent ready.

    Longpet said that the commission had recruited over 15,000 ad hoc staff to help it in the smooth conduct of the poll.

    “We have 3,508 polling units and each of these units will be manned by four ad hoc staff aside the security personnel that will be around to ensure peaceful conduct of the election.

    “We shall deploy more staff and BVAS in densely populated polling units to complement those we are going to use.

    “To be precise, we are going to use more than 900 back-up BVAS.

    “This is because some polling units have more than 1,000 to 2,000 registered voters, and we have to split the number by creating more voting points for easy voting.

    “This becomes imperative as we don’t want to give room for anything that will delay the process.

    “As soon as there is a report of any BVAS failure or challenge, we shall provide another one and configure it to that polling unit for smooth continuation of voting,” he said.

    Longpet said that the BVAS had been deployed to the 21 local government areas of the state in readiness for the election.

    Also speaking, the state Commissioner of Police (CP), Mr Bethrand Onuoha, said over 40,000 policemen would be deployed across the state to ensure peaceful conduct of the election.

    Onuoha said that the planned deployment of large number of personnel was due the past experiences in the state, where violence was recorded during elections.

    “As it is, we have marked out some security flash points for more vigilance even though recent happenings signaled to us that the whole Kogi is a flashpoints.

    “From the number of security personnel we are deploying for this election, it’s an enough testimony to tell you that the state needs more security checks.

    “With the presence of adequate security personnel in Kogi, we are calling on every body to come out and exercise his or her civic right in the Saturday governorship election.

    “We are going to swam the state with enough security personnel and by the special grace of God, with our actions and sanctions, we are going to confound our detractors,” he said.

    Onuoha added: “God is telling me that this election is going to be better than all the elections ever held here in Kogi.

    “We have directed our personnel to be fair to everybody because we come here to serve the people and not any particular individual.”

    The CP urged politicians to play according to the rules of the game, saying that election would come and go, while the people would remain.

    “We expect that they should adopt politics without bitterness. Your brother is your brother, no matter where he belongs politically, ” he said.

    Onuoha warned trouble makers especially political thugs, not to try any thing funny as regard the election as security operatives are battle ready to deal with them.

    “In election, you don’t use matches and guns to force people to give you votes. Such people will meet the wrath of the law.

    “What we want in Kogi is a peaceful and successful election. Therefore, politicians must play according to the rules of the game or be dealt with.

    “The traditional rulers should help us talk to their subjects to maintain peace throughout the election period because it will come and go and we will all remain as residents,” said the police chief.

    Eighteen political parties featuring in the election on Wednesday signed a peace accord, ahead of the poll.
    Some of the parties were the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Labour Party (LP) and the Action Alliance (AA).

    Others are the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), the Action Democratic Congress (ADC), the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), the National Rescue Movement and the Action Democratic Party (ADP).