The Governorship Candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP in Kogi State, Alhaji Muritala Yakubu-Ajaka, has expressed confidence in victory of the Governorship Election shortly after voting in his Ida home county.
The SDP candidate, who cast his vote at Ida 005 polling unit at 9: 17. a.m. local time on Saturday, Nov 11, described the conduct of election by INEC as satisfactory.
”INEC has tried in conducting this off circle governorship election in Kogi, but not with some challenges in some places.
“We are only worried with the reports we are getting from our agents in three local government areas, Adavi, Okehi and Okene, where results sheets are reportedly missing.
“We hope that the authorities would do something about such disturbing reports and ensure they are addressed properly,” he said.
Ajaka also commended the security operatives for their professional conduct at ensuring that the election was conducted peaceful in the state.
However, his party, the SDP has expressed worry over alleged disappearance of Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC officials and materials for the off circle Governorship Elections.
The party, in a statement issued in Anyigba on Saturday morning by Faruk Adejoh-Audu, Spokesman to Alhaji Muritala Yakubu Ajaka, Governorship Candidate, called on INEC to investigate the matter.
Some of the complaints of the party’s agents in the field include missing Result sheets of the entire polling units and ward collation result sheets in Ogori-Magongo
“Our agents who went to ward collation centres in few early hours of this morning to inspect materials before accepting to take them to polling units discovered that no results sheets were available for any of the units or ward collation centres!
“In Olamaboro Ward 5 where agents of all parties escorted the Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPO), Presiding Officers and other INEC Staff with security to the ward headquarters in Inele-Ugo last night, they went back to commence deployment of the materials to the polling units.
“But this morning and we discovered that the entire INEC Staff, materials and the security personnel have all disappeared from the Roman Catholic Mission ( RCM) Primary School where they left them.
“Again, the Chairman of Igalamela LGA was caught ferrying large amounts of cash in the early hours of this morning and paraded by securing agents but curiously he has been freed after pressures from Above. (See video)
“In Ogugu, Olamaboro LGA, a Senior Special Assistant f to the state Governor from Ogugu Ward was also arrested by Soldiers at Sabon Gari Roundabout at about 8; 00 a.m. with cash of N28 Million and fire arms.
“He’s being subjected to frog jumps by the soldiers at press time, ” it said.
According to the party, these developments signpost reports of outrageous signs of alleged malpractices and manipulations that are emerging are not healthy to our democratic process.
“We are immediately drawing the attention of the INEC National Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, the Returning Officer for Kogi State, Election observers, Local and International and head of security agencies to these outrageous electoral breeches.
“We hereby urge the commission to keeps to its vow to reject results from areas that have been compromised by violence, malpractice or manipulations.
“So far our agents are following the normal procedure of lodging complaints to INEC and we are hoping this concerns are addressed promptly.
“We shall keep Nigerians updated with further developments on these anomalies and new ones as they emerge,” the party said.
Contacted, the DIG, Operations, Habu Sani, who is in charge of security of the Kogi election, he said that such information have not reached him but that since it involved other sister operatives, he has to liase with them for details on the alleged incidences.
Confidence Okwuchi
