Calls mount for cancellation of Kogi gov.poll as INEC declares senatorial re-run election inconclusive

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Amidst calls for the cancellation of Saturday’s governorship election in Kogi State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the re-run election in Kogi West senatorial district, held on the same day, inconclusive.
Reports of violence, voters intimidation, votes buying and other malpractices characterized the Nov. 16 governorship election in the state with Independent election observers calling for its cancellation. The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has equally rejected the results announced so far by INEC.

Announcing that the senatorial poll was inclusive, the returning officer Olayinde Lawal said he was constrained not to declare a winner in the election because the margin of victory between the two candidates was smaller than the number of registered voters in the 52 polling units where results were cancelled.

He said a new date for the re-run election in those polling units would be announced soon.

The election pitched Smart Adeyemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Adeyemi, a former Senator, was in the lead from the results already declared, but Melaye, who until he was removed by the Court of Appel was the senator representing the area, rejected the result, citing numerous irregularities.

The PDP governorship candidate Mr Musa Wada has rejected the results so far announced by INEC for the gubernatorial contest, just like the election observer team from the Situation Room and YIAGA.
Addressing newsmen in Lokoja on Sunday, Wada said that the results were doctored to favour Gov. Yahaya Bello of APC.

He alleged that the APC massively rigged the election in Kogi Central where the governor came from.

“The result is not a true reflection of what happened. The people of the state voted for PDP but APC changed the result to favour them.

“Results decleard so far by INEC are written results and we can’t accept that.

“Every single result was changed and we are going to challenge the result. The election is not true reflection of what happened in the field,” Wada said.
He promised to challenge the results at the tribunal.

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