A group under the aegis of Kogi United for Democracy (KUD) has called on the National Assembly and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to carry out holistic electoral reforms to enable alignment of public good and governance in future elections.
The group which said this at a Press conference in Abuja against the background of November 16 Governorship election in Kogi state maintained that election was a blight on the state political transition history leaving the state more ethnically divided than ever before.
The newly elected duo of Yahaya Bello and Edward Onoja as Governor and deputy governor’s elect respectively are billed to be inaugurated Monday 27, 2020
Chairman of the group, Yakubu Ugwolawu who addressed the media said such electoral reforms should incorporate the use of card readers, electronic transfer of results from polling units to the central collation centre and maintain quadrennial amendment to the electoral Act to meet new challenges.
He charged all Nigerians to brace up and enjoin all civil society organisations in the country to mount vigorous campaigns for the electoral amendment for the good of the country.
According to the group, “we want to reiterate here that the November 16, 2019 governorship election in our dear state has left an indelible dark spot in our political journey because our collectivity in our desire for a united Kogi State was greatly undermined by the incumbent governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello in collaboration with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies.
Prior to the election, the incumbent governor did show his endorsement of brigandage and gangsterism which made well-meaning citizens in the state and political parties to raise alarm and wrote several complaints to the authorities concerned.
ALSO READ: Ondo govt, labour agree on new N30,000 minimum wage
“These complaints fell on deaf ears and the security agencies became complacent to the various issues raised.
“Consequently, many lives were lost during and after the election as thugs loyal to persons in government openly killed and maimed people without hindrances from the security agencies.
“The election was marred with irregularities of the highest order. It was characterised with ballot box snatching, stuffing, and destruction of electoral materials coupled with widespread violence and vote-buying at an exorbitant rate.
“Some places it was N10,000, others N5,000 to buy votes.
“On a particular note, was the use of Police helicopter which teargassed from the air to scare voters away, thereby, paving way for the brigands to operate. The level of irregularity was unprecedented in the annals of our political history in Kogi state. The results scored by parties were manipulated in favour of the incumbent governor.
“There was post-election violence on a large scale leading to the killing of a woman leader of PDP in Ofu Local Government Area, Mrs. Salome Achejuh Abuh. That incident has left the entire citizens of Kogi State to live in fear and has actually necessitated our coming together to give this briefing,” the group said.
Comrade Goodman Awu said it behooves in all Nigerians to support the call for electoral reform for better governance and called for the cancellation of Bello’s emergence as Governor of Kogi stayed from November 16 guber election.
and then