Victor Alewo Adoji, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate for Kogi East District of Kogi State, has rejected results of Saturday’s national assembly election in the district, citing widespread violence, voter suppression and manipulation of results.
Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission had on Saturday, cancelled the voting process in seven polling units of Kogi East, following attacks by thugs. Two polling units were cancelled in Anyigba while the other five were in the Omala community of the state.
However, while the election went on in the rest of the polling units, violence, voter intimidation and suppression were widespread, according to witnesses.
Reacting to the situation in a statement on Sunday, Adoji noted that the entire voting process and eventual election results of Dekina LGA, 7 wards in Ofu LGA, 5 wards in Olamaboro LGA, 10 wards in Idah, 11 wards in Ankpa LGA, and 5 wards in Igalamela LGA were hugely manipulated and therefore must be cancelled.
“Our attention has been drawn to the fraudulent manipulations of the electoral process, and invasion of numerous polling units by armed thugs of the APC in connivance with the electoral officials and security agents,” the statement said.
“The APC thugs who were armed with dangerous weapons roaming freely unchecked invaded various polling units majorly across six LGAs in Kogi East scaring electorates, destroying ballot boxes, and carting the BVAS in some cases along with sensitive electoral materials to unknown destinations to declare fictitious results in favour of the APC.
“The entire election results of Dekina LGA, 7 wards in Ofu LGA, 5 wards in Olamaboro LGA, 10 wards in Idah, 11 wards in Ankpa LGA, and 5 wards in Igalamela LGA are hugely doctored and must be cancelled.
“A good number of voters were denied their rights to vote because some of the BVAS machines showed that they had been accredited. How? Who used their PVCs? Or, were some of the BVAS machines preloaded?
“Having created ample grounds, the INEC officials in cahoot with the APC were busy throughout the night tweaking and manipulating votes to the credit of the APC. An INEC official in Ankpa who was not part of the arrangement from above naively stood his grounds and almost paid the ultimate prize. We need to see the result sheets booklets and count to reaffirm that multiple result sheets were used.
“Until the APC achieved their transient end, they intimidated PDP agents, threatened them with deaths of even family members and destruction of anything they own and were forced to sign some of the results at gun and matchete points, in the presence of some INEC officials. Even some areas where INEC announced cancellations of voting have posted results from only God knows where. This can not be said to be sane.”
Adoji insisted that the future of the senatorial zone is bigger than the interest of any individual, including the Kogi State governor, Yahaya Bello, whom he accused of being behind the plot.
“The future of Kogi East and by extension Nigeria is bigger than individual or partisan interest and it is the responsibility of all Nigerians, including Governor Yahaya Bello, to make sure we do not cause a breach of the peace. The genuine votes of the people must count, no matter whose ox is gored,” he added.
“We have in our custody audio and video recordings to validate complaints of state-facilitated tempering and allegations of compromise on the parts of the military, police and INEC and we shall make them available in court. We shall name and shame the unpatriotic officials who as it stands have collected bribes that should be regarded as their gratuities or retirement (or (sack) benefits as they are not fit to protect either the common or public good.
“I refuse to accept governance by fear, force and intimidation and shall fight this deploying all legitimate means possible.
“For sake of emphasis, I reject the results from the areas mentioned and shall go to all and every length to seek redress and get Justice.
“I use this opportunity to extend sincere gratitude to the great Kogi Easterners who came out in the numbers and stood their grounds in some cases not minding threat to life. You have earned my respect and I shall do everything legitimately possible to recover such brazen theft of your mandate.”
Meanwhile, the whereabouts of the PDP Kogi East Senatorial collation agent, Mr. Collins Onogu has remained unknown.
It would also be recalled that the party had raised alarm over an alleged attack and threats on the party agent by the chairman of Idah Local Government, Hon. Abu Odoma.
The PDP, in a statement said he was last seen at Idah, the Kogi East Senatorial Collation Centre.
The party further alleged that he was spotted at the collation centre being threatened by Hon. Odoma when “he rejected the offer of N10 million (Ten Million Naira) to sign fraudulent election results submitted by the APC.
“We plead with the public to forward any information about his whereabout to the nearest police station.”
Usman Okai Austin, a PDP youth leader and House of Representatives candidate for Dekina/ Bassa Federal Constituency (in the senatorial district) also alleged that one Odawn John from Oduh Ofugo, an APC member who’s also an INEC adhoc staff posted to his own polling unit at Odu for the same election was seen hobnobbing with APC House of Reps candidate for Dekina/ Bassa Federal Constituency, in same district. He further posited that there was no election in the Dekina area of the district.