Kogi bye-election: CDD deploys observers, tasks stakeholders on credible process

As voters in Kogi West Senatorial District and Ajaokuta Federal Constituency vote on Saturday, CDD has called for a credible process reflecting the democratic will of the people.

The CDD Director, Idayat Hassan, on Friday in a statement in Abuja, warned that given the violence, voter intimidation and brazen electoral fraud, which characterised the November 16 polls in Kogi and Bayelsa states, the onus is now on all stakeholders, especially INEC and security agencies, to redeem themselves.

“This supplementary election is an opportunity for the electoral stakeholders, especially INEC and the security agencies, to address the many flaws we saw on November 16. CDD observation showed that the polls of November 16 were seriously tainted by a myriad of electoral malpractices, which fundamentally undermined the integrity of the process and outcomes in Kogi and Bayelsa State. “CDD hopes the security agencies, which failed to protect voters and poll officials the last time out, have taken due note of the local and international condemnation which greeted their abysmal performance on November 16, and are ready to make amends,” Hassan said.

According to her, apart from the task of ensuring the electoral space is safe, she urged the respective agencies to proactively curb the menace of vote-buying, expected to be rife in this supplementary election.

Hassan also said that the CDD Election Analysis Centre (EAC) would be deploying its accredited non-partisan observers across the Polling Units where supplementary election will be held.

She, therefore, urged the electoral umpire to ensure voters who come out to exercise their franchise are not let down by logistic lapses.

She said, “CDD calls on eligible voters to come out to vote for a candidate of their choice. We equally restate our call to political actors to play by the rules, and refrain from sponsoring thugs to disrupt the process and cause harm to voters and poll officials.”

The Kogi West Senatorial district supplementary election will be conducted in 53 Polling units across seven local governments with 45,767 Registered Voters. As a result of Court Judgement, INEC will also hold elections in 22 Polling Units with 15,438 Registered Voters in Ajaokuta Federal Constituency.