Why we won’t accept Kogi West senatorial result ― PDP leaders

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leaders in Kogi West Senatorial District, on Monday, gave reasons for rejecting the outcome of the November 16 election, which was declared inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), saying that the exercise fell below acceptable standards.

Following their review of the conduct of the election in an extraordinary meeting on Sunday night, the leaders addressed a press conference at the national secretariat of the party in Abuja where they outlined their grouse against the election.

Reading from a prepared text, the zonal Chairman, PDP Kogi West, Barrister Kola Ojo said: “That the conduct of the said elections, particularly in relation to the Senatorial elections as announced by INEC fall far short of the minimum standards for credible elections worldwide as attested to by all national and international observers, and is totally unacceptable, and would therefore, be challenged at the appropriate tribunals and pursued with due regards to the Electoral Act, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and all other extant laws.

“That the entire Kogi West Senatorial election results as announced by the electoral umpire ought to have been cancelled having regards to the unprecedented deployment of arms and ammunition, thugs, unholy collaboration of INEC, the security agencies and the All Progressive Congress (APC) Party in the entire electoral processes in negation of the Electoral Act, and INEC guidelines, is totally unacceptable and would therefore be challenged.

“The aforementioned position is informed by the facts that there were fundamental infractions in the conduct of the election in all the Local Government Areas of Kogi West Senatorial District characterized by uncontrolled shootings, wanton killing of innocent citizens, brazen use of security agencies to cow and intimidate members of the opposition in many units of the Senatorial District during which ballot boxes were carted away to the Kogi State Government House and illegally stuffed with already thumb printed ballot papers which were admitted by INEC as valid votes in affected units.

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“Furthermore, collation and entry of concocted votes were carried out at the Government House and thereafter forced on the electoral officers for an announcement at the various collation centres. This process is totally at variance with the NBC rules, guidelines, the Electoral Act and international best practices.

“Curiously, results emanating from these illegal processes were validated and announced by the electoral body instead of being cancelled.

“Unfortunately, the electoral body brazenly overlooked all of these infractions in determining the areas where it announced supplementary elections will be held on Saturday 30th November 2019.”

Ojo mentioned specific cases including that of Lokoja Local Government, which he said was a clear case of “institutional thuggery, shootings and killings with reckless abandon including the use of helicopter in the full glare of Nigerians.”

He noted that despite the observed flaws, INEC collated non-existed results rather than cancelling the exercise.

While assuring that members of the PDP in Kogi West Senatorial District were resolutely committed to the return of Senator Dino Melaye, Ojo demanded: “INEC must as a matter of urgency, include all the areas that witnessed ballot box snatching, intimidation, aggression and gunshots as detailed above, which rendered the so-called collation of election results from such areas spurious, untenable and unacceptable, in the now ordered supplementary elections of Saturday 30th November 2019, as failure to do so will be tantamount to legitimizing the fraud that took place during the November 16th elections.

“Put in place adequate, effective and responsive security measures that will engender an atmosphere devoid of fear, intimidation, aggression and other negative tendencies before, during and after the curious and deceptively ordered supplementary elections deliberately aimed at manipulating the outcome of the Kogi West supplementary cum rerun Senatorial elections in favour of the APC candidate.”

He enjoined party supporters to come out massively during the supplementary to ensure that Melaye is returned to the Senate.