Chuks Okocha in Abuja
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has again faulted the planned November 30 supplementary election in Kogi West senatorial election, accusing the Independent National Electoral Commissions (INEC) of indiscriminately allotting votes recorded in 2015 election to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in November 16 election.
Though the PDP rejected the outcome of the November 16 Kogi West senatorial election, it nonetheless urged its members to come out enmasse to vote for it on November 30.
Addressing journalists in Abuja yesterday, the PDP Zonal Chairman for North-central, Kola Ojo said “Specifically, the results announced in respect of Odokoro/Araromi/Okoro Ward, code 05, and Iyah/Ayeh Ward, code 05 were those of 2015 elections as reflected on the result sheets. This is despite the protestation of the PDP agents at the LGA Collation Centre”.
He said that in Kabba town of Kabba-Bunu LGA, collated results as announced by the returning officer indicated that the number of accredited voters was 26,660 and the total number of cancelled votes was 22,293 votes leaving a total of 4,367 valid votes.
However, he said that the electoral body still went ahead to allot over 15,000 votes to the APC candidate, and 8,084 to the PDP candidate.
According to the PDP zonal chairmanship, the votes recorded and announced in Iyara, ljumu LGA, where the APC candidate comes from, was clearly an allotment.
He said that there were also incidents of vote manipulations in Odokoro, Ayetoro-Gbede, lyah/Ayeh and Okedayo/Egbeda.
The zonal chairman said that in units 1, 2 and 3 of Mopamuro LGA, there were gun shots, which scared away voters, paving the way for thugs of the APC to thumb print ballot papers in private residences with reckless abandon in the full glare of officials of INEC and security agencies.
Despite faulting the outcome of the November 16 senatorial election in Kogi West, PDP urged INEC to as a matter of urgency, include all the areas that witnessed ballot box snatching, intimidation, aggression and gun shots as detailed above, which rendered the collation of election results from such areas spurious, untenable and unacceptable, in the now ordered supplementary elections of Saturday November 30, 2019, adding that failure to do so will be tantamount to legitimising the fraud that took place during the November 16 elections.
He also urged INEC to 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.
The PDP zonal chairman said that it is incontestable that if APC had ensured that all invalid votes were in the units detailed above had been discountenanced, the PDP would have won with a clear majority, and a rerun unnecessary.
“In view of the aforementioned, and without prejudice to the steps to be taken by the PDP to seek appropriate legal and constitutional redress, all members of the party in the areas where supplementary elections have been ordered by INEC, and the additional units we are canvassing for inclusion, are enjoined to remain resolute, committed and determined in ensuring the victory of the party by massively coming out to vote for the PDP in the said supplementary elections”
