Kogi election was rigged but I won’t waste my time in court – SDP Candidate

Governorship candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Kogi State, Murtala Ajaka, has alleged irregularities in Saturday’s election.

Ajaka said he won’t challenge the outcome of the poll in court if he loses as it will be a waste of time.

Speaking on Channels TV’s ‘The 2023 Verdict: Off-Cycle Elections,’ Ajaka had claimed that the election was rigged with the support of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“In the whole of the five local governments in central, the whole of the five local governments in central, there was no election anywhere. They wrote results. Result sheets were given to Yahaya Bello

“In Okene local government, they turned out over 130,000 votes, haba! And INEC accepted that result and what is on the BVAS is less than 30,000.

“With all due respect to the person of the INEC chairman, if they don’t do a checklist and investigate their officials that went to Kogi State and allow this to stand, I doubt if there will be election in 2027.

“Because people will go into that election armed and I fear Somalia will be a child’s play.

“If we knew it would be the same old music, we would have played along with that old music by inflating the results from my area.

“When the commission told us yesterday that they were looking into this case, we were hopeful, that is why everybody relaxed. Only for them now to collate these results. It is annoying. Three local governments are producing 230,000-something votes,” he said,

When asked why he was agitated since he had evidence to prove that the election was rigged, Ajaka said, “What am I going to court to do when the same INEC that did this is going to come as a witness to defend what they did? So it is a waste of time. Except the party people because I’m hugely disappointed. If the INEC chairman allows this to stand, they are looking for trouble in Nigeria.

“You gave me assurance that the election would be transparent, you allowed me to waste my time, spend my money, mobilise my people, only for you to write the results. Even if I’m not sad about it, you expect my supporters to be happy. I assure you if they allow this to stand as they are allowing in all the states now, they are calling for anarchy in this country.”

Meanwhile, INEC has ordered fresh elections in some wards in Kogi State as a result of irregularities.

Following some pre-filled result sheets which went into circulation while voting was ongoing, INEC had suspended elections across nine wards and said further communication would be made.

In a statement on Sunday, Mohammed Haruna, a National Commissioner, said fresh elections would hold in the affected areas.