*alleged results were written before election
The Social Democratic Party (SDP)’s governorship candidate in Kogi State Muritala Ajaka has faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the conduct of the governorship election in the state.
While the commission has concluded the election in the North-Central state with results being collated, Ajaka, who is vying to unseat the All Progressives Congress (APC), has accused INEC officials of compromising the exercise.
“INEC disappointed all of us,” he said on Sunday night during Channels Television’s The Verdict programme for the off-cycle governorship elections.
“
Check from the results. Just like the last man [on the show] was complaining, INEC gave us the impression that everything was going to work perfectly but it turned out the other way,” Ajaka said.
The SDP candidate blamed INEC officials sent to the state for manipulating the process.
Returning officers for the Kogi election were brought from the University of Nigeria Nsukka and they worked with the INEC Local Government Electoral Officers resident in the state.
“I want to believe the team that was sent to the state were the ones that compromised. Before the commencement of the election, the results sheets were already out everywhere in the whole of Kogi Central,” he said.
“Of course, we have written to them and have evidence. It is just unfortunate that these things happened this way,” Akaja maintained when asked if he had evidence for his claims.
“If we had known we were going into a jungle, we would have prepared for a jungle arrangement,” the SDP chieftain added, saying it would have been an “All man to himself” arrangement.
“The Federal Government has done its own part. We must give kudos to President Ahmed Bola Tinubu. He provided security for everybody,” he said on the show.
“INEC too, the arrangement from and before the commencement of the exercise, everything was all right. But the officials of the INEC – sent to Kogi state – were the ones that compromised. They gave the result sheets to Yahaya Bello. Results were written before the election.”
While 18 of the 21 local government area results have been collated, INEC said there will be supplementary election in 59 polling units in the state. That exercise is billed to be held this Saturday.
From the results announced before appearing on the show, the SDP candidate was trailing his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart Usman Ododo.
But shortly after Ajaka left the studio, the State Returning officer for Kogi Governorship election, Professor Johnson Ozoemenam Urama who is the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), University of Nigeria Nsukka, announced Ododo of the APC winner of the election amidst protests by agents of other political parties present at the state collation center.