The Kogi West Development Front (KWDF) has cried out over the conduct of the last elections in the area, describing it as a daylight electoral robbery.
The group, in a statement in Abuja on Thursday, accused government officials in Kogi West Senatorial District of ignoring the possibility of setting parts of the state on fire.
In the statement, KWDF President, Alhaji Lukman Muhammadu, and Secretary-General, Mr. Victor Emmanuel, condemned the alleged rigging and urged the Yahaya Bello administration and that of local government council chairmen to rethink the legacy they are leaving behind.
Part of the statement said: “In spite of a massive support base across Lokoja, Kotonkarfe, Kabba, Yagbaland and other parts of Kogi West Senatorial zone where Honourable Teejay Yusuf’s laudable developmental initiatives have gained much respect over the years, electoral officials and few others from the state and local governments brazenly manipulated our votes.
“Why should the INEC BVAS be so horribly bypassed on such a large scale across Kogi West Senatorial zone and why should a state Commissioner and his team of hoodlums allegedly ambush INEC officials in Kotonkarfe local government area?
“We had peaceful, orderly election with widespread assumption that Teejay Yusuf whose support transcends ethnic, religious and political divides, is our collective choice; it is extremely provocative that government officials ended up subverting the people’s will with several INEC officials’ deliberate bypass of BVAS and government officials’ use of force.”
The group further emphasized the need to allow the truth to prevail, stressing that virtually every part of the senatorial district spiritedly supported Honourable Teejay Yusuf for the senatorial position, “only for negative minds in high places to perpetrate manipulations that raised fears about youth reaction, as well as threat to peace and security which Teejay Yusuf team’s commendable efforts have calmed down”.
“We urge Kogi youths to stand up for peace and democracy by not allowing the Shenanigans of unprincipled government officials to motivate any involvement in acts that can imperil peace and order.” the group said.
