The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) elders and leaders in Kogi West have demanded total cancellation of results of the November 16 senatorial rerun election in Kogi West.
Addressing newsmen on Monday in Abuja, after their meeting which lasted for several hours, Hon. Kola Ojo who read the communique on behalf of his colleagues alleged that there were fundamental infractions in the conduct of the election in all the local government areas of Kogi West.
He argued that the election was 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 allegedly carted away to the Kogi state Government House where they were allegedly stuffed with already thumb printed ballot papers which were admitted by INEC as valid votes.
“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 officials, the Security Agencies and the All Progressives 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.
“Furthermore, collation and entry of concocted votes were carried out at the Government House and thereafter forced on the electoral officers for 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,” the PDP leaders said.