The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Usman Ododo of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the off-cycle governorship election in Kogi State, after a pulsating suspense amid anxiety of cancelled results in some Polling Units.
Ododo polled 446,237 votes to defeat Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who came second with 259,052 votes, while Dino Melaye, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), scored 46,362 votes.
For the other two states of Imo and Bayelsa states where elections held on Saturday, there was no major upset as INEC declared Governor Hope Uzodimma of the APC winner, while Governor Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is in a comfortable lead after collation of results were adjourned till 12noon today with results from two LGAs – Brass and Southern Ijaw –yet to be collated.
As of yesterday, Diri extended his lead in results so far declared by INEC. With the final results from six out of the eight LGAs of the state, Diri is leading by 64,106 votes, after scoring a total of 137,909 votes from the six LGAs. He won in five LGAs, while his closest challenger, Timipre Sylva of APC, has won in only one LGA – Nembe.
INEC has come under fire for going ahead to collate results despite instances of alleged over-voting in the election in Kogi.
Some stakeholders alleged that election results displayed on the IReV portal revealed cases of over-voting in Okehi, Adavi, and Okene LGAs. However, the Kogi State Collation Officer, Prof. Sani Mohammed, went ahead to uphold the results.
The situation sparked concerns about the process, with stakeholders demanding immediate intervention from INEC headquarters to address the alleged irregularities and uphold the integrity of the electoral system.
Commenting on the development, Murtala Ajaka, governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), noted that INEC cancelled results in Bayelsa over cases of over-voting and urged the Commission’s headquarters to intervene in Kogi.
Speaking at a press briefing, Ajaka said: “We are being punished for being obedient to the law. We had every opportunity to inflate the result in our own local government, but we decided to be on the side of the law.
“When people are oppressed, we are left with no alternative but to defend ourselves. Given the current trajectory, if this pattern continues, we will be compelled to protect our democracy, and we are committed to doing so if providence permits.”
Candidate of the PDP, Senator Dino Melaye, called for the annulment of the election, citing widespread irregularities that he deems unprecedented in the state’s history.
Addressing the media at a press conference in Lokoja, the state capital, on Sunday, Melaye expressed dismay at the irregularities that marred the election across all three Senatorial districts, describing the electoral process as ‘shameful and unhealthy’.
However, INEC had slated Saturday, November 18 for the conduct of fresh elections in polling units where the exercise was earlier suspended in Kogi.
National Commissioner and member of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, disclosed this in a statement issued Sunday night in Abuja.
He said: “Further to our statement on Saturday, we have received an update from our Kogi office regarding the suspension of election in some locations in the state where result sheets were completed before the commencement of voting. The most critical incident occurred in nine out of 10 wards in Ogori/Magongo LGA.
“We received reports of similar and other incidents in Adavi (five Polling Units (Pus) in Okunchi/Ozuri/Onieka Ward), Ajaokuta (five PUs in Adogo Ward), Okehi (one PU in Eika/Ohizenyi Ward) and Okene (five PUs in Obehira Uvete Ward). Results from the affected PUs have been accounted for in Form EC40G for the four LGAs .
