The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Kogi State, Dino Melaye, has called for the cancellation of the poll.
Melaye made the call on Sunday in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, as the collation of results was in progress.
The Independent National Electoral Commission after the collation announced the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Usman Ododo, as the winner, while Muritala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party came second.
Melaye, who came a distant third, said at the news conference: “I will start by condemning in its totality the conduct of the elections yesterday and outrightly call for the total cancellation of the election because that was not an election.
“It is shameful that the unhealthy INEC refuse to realise, ameliorate or palliate the problems they created in the last presidential and governorship elections.
“Yesterday in the five local governments of the central senatorial district in Kogi State, there was no election.
“Surprisingly, accreditation was done manually, the BVAS was not used.
“Prepared sheets manifested even before accreditation took place and evidence is all over the media.
“So, INEC as a matter of urgency must cancel the election.
“In many areas where I won, my agents were told there were no available result sheets to enter the result and we have evidence to back up these claims.
“As I speak to you, it is shameful that this is what our democracy has descended to.
“INEC has manifested more than before that they cannot be trusted, they are biased, they are compromised, and they cannot be a neutral umpire.
“INEC officials and youth corps members were caught yesterday with prepared result sheets even before the commencement of the processes.
“A youth corps member was arrested with a prepared result and N1 million in his bag.”
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The Eagle Online recalls that the INEC Returning Officer for the poll, Prof. Johnson Urama, declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Usman Ododo, as the winner of the poll at about 10:23pm on Sunday.
The Returning Officer announced that Ododo won with 446,237 votes, while Ajaka polled 259,052 votes.
Melaye polled 46,362 votes and lost in his local government area, Ijumu, to the APC.
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