Politics

SDP Calls For Review Of Kogi Governorship Election Results

Published

8 months ago

November 23, 2023

Joel Ajayi

The National Leadership of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), has demanded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), review the results of the Kogi governorship election held on the 11th of November and declare the party’s candidate Murtala Ajaka as the fully elected governor of the state.

The national chairman of the SDP, Shehu Gabam made the demands on behalf of the party at a press conference at the party’s national Secretariat in Abuja on over the weekend.

Addressing newsmen Shehu Gabam said, they were amazed how the umpire who issued two separate press releases later turned around and admitted results over voting, prefilled, and mutilated results.

He noted that INEC must redeem itself by being above board in the Kogi governorship election.

“We therefore seek, the cancelation of polling units affected by overvoting, reverse the observed irregularities, rescind the result declared by the returning officer and declare the proper result, rescind the erroneous and unlawful return of Ahmed Ododo and declare Murtala Ajaka dully elected as the governor of Kogi State.” He said

To back his demands, he said, “We humbly request the INEC to exercise its rights and obligations under the constitution of Nigeria and the Electoral Act, 2022 to review the earlier result.

“In view of the above, we humbly request the Independent National Electoral Commission to exercise its rights and obligations under the Constitution of Nigeria and the Electoral Act, 2022 to review the earlier incorrect declaration and cancel the results where there had been irregularities and processes contrary to the provisions of the law, regulations, and guidelines, and manual for the election. He demanded

Speaking further he said, “We wish to report even more infractions and infringements in the Kogi State election and therefore wish to request the Chairman to review, in accordance with Section 65(2) of the Electoral Act, 2022, the declaration by Professor Johnson Urama, acting on behalf of INEC.

“We wish to bring the attention of the Honourable Chairman, the following complaints on actions which marred the Kogi election management and were in contravention of Section 51(2) of the Act, 2022 and hence formally request the Commission to make urgent reviews. They are: a. That significantly substantial registered voters with irregular or multiple registration were returned as lawful voters in Okene LG., A similar instance was observed at Okehl, Adavi and Ogori-Magogo, and Ajaokuta LGs.

“Also, activities of INEC functionaries which contravene Section 51(2) of the Electoral Act, 2022 were reported by our Polling Agents who complained strongly at the ways and manners in which Presiding Officers at hundreds of Polling Units carried on; for instance:

Allowing Forms EC8A where total votes cast and rejected votes together were more than the total BVAS accreditation counts physically shown to the Polling Agents. The summation of the Total Valid votes and the Rejected votes written on Form EC8A

exceeded the total votes cast as written on the same Form EC8A Over voting also occurred in some Polling Units where total votes casts exceeded the count of voters in the voters register in the same Polling Unit.”

“That there were areas where voting did not take place at all, and polling agents were chased away and yet the Presiding Officers returned phantom results as lawful vote counts such as in Barilo Ward-1 in Okene LG at Govt. Day Sec. Sch. Irivucheba-l Polling Station 1701-038 where the Presiding Officer scored 400 votes for APC and zero for all the other parties. Even other Parties Polling Agents were not allowed to vote.” He added

He also noted that, Presiding Officers allowed illegal voters who failed accreditation and marked ‘FA on the Voters Register used on the election day to vote contrary to the guidelines and regulations

In nearly all these cases of overvoting and unlawful votes, the records of Forms EC40A, EC408, and EC40C did not match the records or did not correspond with the records put on Forms EC8A as required by the law, regulations, and guidelines. That PVC counts of all those eligible to vote in some Polling Units are less than the Total valid votes cast, even though these PVC counts were actually less than the count of voters registered

“We avow that the irregularities observed in the affected polling units substantially affected the outcome of the election and that but for such irregularities, the outcome would have produced a winner other than Mr Ahmed Usman Ododo of the APC and that

Murtala Ajaka, the candidate of the SDP would have and should have been declared the winner.”

The candidate of the SDP in the Kogi State governorship election, Murtala Ajaka, said he had earlier told the public that he wasn’t going to challenge the declaration of Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress APC by INEC as the elected governor of Kogi State. But had a change of mind from the evidence at hand and pressure from his people.

“Though I already said I wasn’t going to court from pressure from my people we are going to court, we have gathered all the evidence needed to win the case.”

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Politics

Yahaya Bello: Kogi indigenes To EFCC: Don’t Allow Embittered, Ethnic Jingoists Lead You Astray

Published

2 months ago

May 29, 2024

The Gleamer

From Our Correspondent

Indigenes of Kogi State have cautioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, against those they described as embittered and desperate ethnic jingoists who are strengthening the public opinion that the Commission is collaborating with certain opposition figures to persecute the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.

The indigenes said since the allegation of corruption by the EFCC against the former Governor became a national discourse, “some persons who are afraid of chasing their dreams at the polls have hidden under the veneer of activism to sponsor their tribesmen to impugn on the character of ex Governor Yahaya Bello maliciously”.

Addressing a press conference yesterday, chairman of the forum, Benjamin Oguche noted that those still calling for the arrest of Bello even in the face of an ongoing court process, were either uninformed or out to rubbish the image of EFCC while pursuing their prolonged vendetta mission.

The Kogi youth leaders said this particular group had consistently pursued a “we against them” agenda, causing division and hate among the ethnic groups in Kogi, spreading falsehood and propaganda to the public on the matter.

“It is sad and regrettable that the so-called corruption allegation against Bello, which remains an allegation until established in the court of law, has become an opportunity for chronic political failures to unleash their intolerance and deep-rooted frustration on a state that our founding fathers have laboured so hard to unite.

“Without credible reasons, they have been said to have mobilised resources to fight him for daring to govern a state he hails from and for overseeing a free and fair election which produced another governor, not from their fold,” they stated.

According to them, the polarisation, ethnic and religious colouration that have been introduced in recent times into the EFCC trial of the immediate past Governor calls for worry, especially among every Kogi indigene who has a firm belief in the peaceful co-existence of the state as an indivisible entity.

“Suffice to say that what we see playing out today is a microcosm of what our country represents, where the so called minority is discriminated against, sidelined and treated like a lesser citizen in a country he has made equal, if not greater, contributions to building. The so called minority has been made to believe his voice does not count and his fundamental right to pursue social, economic and political interest taken away.

“Since through divine providence that former Governor Yahaya Bello became governor in 2016, several arrow of ethnic bitterness, needless attacks and corruption profiling have been targetted at him and his government for no offence other than for the simple reason that the responsibility to lead our dear state at that time fell on his shoulder.

“While God saw him through his four years in office, the people of our dear state equally and overwhelmingly renewed their mandate for him, sending him to go again, amidst hate campaign, violence attacks and ethnic war by some ethnic driven elites who have sworn never to allow certain ethnic groups have a taste of leading the state.

While this gathering is not about catalogue of exploits he achieved and the records he broke within these eight years, it is important to note that since he left office, same known tribal jingoists and ethnic champions have been having sleepless nights plotting the downfall of the man.

“The anti-Bello protests in the UK last week, Lagos last week and Abuja today highlight the glaring danger those they regard as minority ethnic groups face in the hands of those who feel that their population is for the purpose of suppressing the fundamental rights of others to seek political interest. One continues to wonder where the protesters gathered the money to go on a protest spray, if some people are not bankrolling them, which suggest a sinister plan different from genuine fight against corruption as the public is made to understand.

“We understand that the case for which these hate-induced protests are going on is in the court and the court is a place of orderliness where every party will push their stands without necessarily drawing dagger to murder our peace. We are, however, surprised that dimension of sustained protests have been added to their inglorious mission.

“We have often expressed our confidence in the judiciary and irrespective of how long it could take, the wheel of justice must grind to a logical end. We, however, frown at the seeming open hands the EFCC has been showing to the protesters which is fuelling an unfortunate suspicion that must be immediately corrected.

“While we welcome in its entirety the probe of the former Governor, we, however, reject the deliberate image smearing against him. We call on the EFCC to disregard the propaganda of ethnic agents and face the task of diligent prosecution,” the youth leaders advised.

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