PDP rejects Kogi elections results

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday rejected the results of the just concluded election, describing them as complete murder of democracy.

The party lamented that February 23 and March 9, 2019, were days as the day democracy was murdered in the state and replaced with “Gun Crazy” a system of government where guns are used to forcefully win elections.

The state deputy chairman of the party, Sam Abenemi, told newsmen in Lokoja, the state capital, that the election witnessed snatching of ballot boxes at gun point by government officials and sponsored thugs.

Reading a statement titled “We reject the murder of  Democracy in Kogi State”, he said democracy has been murdered in Kogi state.

According to Abenemi: “The Presidential, National Assembly, supplementary national assembly elections and the state houses of assembly elections may have ended several days ago across the various voting points in our dear state, we in the Kogi state PDP, are still shocked by the desperation displayed by the APC led administration in the state, the role of security agencies like the police, the military and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“The exercise may have ended and formally declared conclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission, the charade did not end without clearly validating initial concerns of the PDP and majority of Kogi people about the willingness of INEC to conduct credible elections.

” The recently held elections did not only take us several years backwards in our political evolution, aside the civil war of 1967, nowhere in Kogi State has ever witnessed the heavy militarisation of towns and villages by the APC like was witnessed during the just-concluded presidential, national and state assembly elections.

“It is, therefore, pursuant to the various infractions which characterised the election process that the Kogi State PDP rejects in it entirety the outcome of the elections in Kogi State.

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“While good governance, vigorous campaigns usually herald elections in Nigeria, Kogi state became a theatre for rigging and electoral violence amongst other infractions obviously because the APC led administration has failed to meet the yearning and aspiration of the people, substituted democracy for ‘Gun Crazy,.

“Kogi people would also recall that the PDP has repeatedly raised alarm about arms importation into the state, training of armed thugs as vigilantes, an unholy romance between serving members of the state cabinet with INEC officials. Also disenchanted staff of the state government and even security operatives revealed the existence of questionable relationships between key staff of the INEC in Kogi State and various individuals especially government appointees all of whom have various interests in the just concluded elections.

“As a party we have had to raise several alarms about the nefarious activities which indicated that large sums of money and other non cash items including brand new SUV’s, sacks of rice, beans, sugar and garri meant to induce key officials of the INEC, interfere with the voting process and influence the outcome of the elections thereby subverting the will of the people had exchanged hands.

“As a party, we specifically disclosed that the ruling party in Kogi state having been rejected by the people were likely to utilise intimidating tactics to shore up the votes, as well as deter large turnout of electorates in opposition strongholds. These fear came to the fore as under the cover of security agencies, PDP members, candidates were arrested, detained, abducted, with heavy voter intimidation accompanied by violence in the just concluded elections.

He said with the moves INEC had provided sufficient leeway for the heavy malpractices that was the hallmark of the just concluded elections, saying the INEC, security agencies played active collaborator in the distortion of the electoral process as witnessed by Kogi people and the world.

“Not only were deaths recorded in Ankpa, Okehi, Dekina, Bassa and Lokoja local government areas, but there were also cases of abduction of members of the Peoples Democratic Party in Dekina, Ajaokuta, Yagba West, Igalamela Odolu, Olamaboro and Kabba Bunu areas”, he added

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