The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kogi State Chapter has rejected the result of Saturday’s by-election for Okura constituency into Kogi State.
The Independent National Electoral Commission declared the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Hassan Shado, winner of the election.
Announcing the results at the Egume Collation Centre on Saturday, the Returning Officer, Professor Emmanuel Onome, disclosed that the APC candidate polled a total of 55,073 votes, while the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party and the Allied Peoples Movement scored 1,038 and 445 votes respectively.
However, Chairman, PDP Kogi State, Enemona Anyebe in a statement on Monday in Abuja, called for the immediate “cancellation of this fraudulent exercise.”
The party urged INEC to conduct a fresh, credible, free, and fair election in strict compliance with the Constitution and the Electoral Act.
The Kogi PDP said that no election took place in over 98% of the polling units across Okura Constituency.
It alleged that in the early hours of Election Day, “the All Progressives Congress (APC) government officials, aided by security personnel and armed thugs, hijacked electoral materials in the company of INEC officials and moved them to unknown destinations.”
According to the party, “this criminal act completely disenfranchised the good people of Okura Constituency.”
It noted that its candidate, Hon. Meliga Godwin, confronted INEC officials in the field and was told that the Commission “had no security of its own” to address the situation.
The statement reads, “In addition, when our candidate personally called the Kogi State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), the REC admitted that he was aware of the incident, stated that he had contacted the Commissioner of Police, and assured that the matter would be resolved. Shockingly, despite this open admission of irregularities, INEC still went ahead to announce fraudulent results.
“As a responsible political party, we deliberately exercised restraint in the face of provocation, not out of weakness or lack of capacity, but because we believe that no citizen’s blood should be shed for the sake of an election. However, democracy cannot survive where the people are denied their right to vote and electoral robbery is endorsed by the very institution entrusted to safeguard the process.
“We therefore call on the INEC National Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and the entire Commission to urgently intervene, cancel this charade, and restore the confidence of the people in our electoral system.
“The PDP and the people of Okura Constituency will continue to pursue this matter peacefully and lawfully until justice is served.”
