The Kogi State off-cycle governorship election witnessed pockets of skirmishes in some areas.
The major contenders in the poll were Usman Ododo of All Progressives Congress (APC), Muritala Ajaka of Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s Dino Melaye.
There was high turnout of voters across the 21 local government areas of the state.
In Lokoja, the state capital, and several other places, voters trooped out as early as 7am to their polling units to exercise their civic duty.
Security was beefed as military personnel and those of other sister security agencies mounted road blocks in strategic places, streets and major highways in the state to curtail criminal activities.
A chopper was seen hovering in Lokoja metropolis and its environs to ensure safety of the voters.
Daily Trust on Sunday gathered that the electoral umpire, the INEC delivered voting materials at appropriate time while voting commenced as scheduled at about 8:30am.
BVAS Performance
There were reports of technical glitches in uploading results after declaration in some parts of Kogi East senatorial district.
It was learnt that the BVAS machine uploaded about 60 result sheets to the iRev and stopped.
However, an INEC official in Lokoja said there was no cause for alarm as results would be uploaded.
“There is nothing to worry about. There is going to be delay in uploading results; it might take up to six hours to upload,” he said.
INEC Staff Arrested With Pre-filled Result Sheets
In Ogori Magogo LGA, an electoral official, believed to be an INEC staff, was arrested with a prepared result sheets and cash.
Videos of the incident showing angered voters attempting to lynch the electoral officer but for the presence of security agents, trended on social media.
A chieftain of the SDP in the local government, Desmond Obaro, said the man had been handed over to the security agents for investigation and prosecution.
Civil Society Organisation, YIAGA Africa, candidates of PDP and SDP, Melaye and Ajaka respectively, drew INEC’s attention to pre-filled result sheets in Adavi, Ogori Magogo and Okene local government areas.
They appealed to the electoral body to investigate the issue and bring the perpetrators to book.
In a swift reaction, INEC said its officials were looking into the matter and a decision will be communicated “earnestly”.
“Our attention has been drawn to a report that filled result sheets were discovered in some polling units in Kogi State. The commission views this situation seriously.
“Our senior officials deployed to the state are currently investigating the incident(s). The commission will communicate its decision earnestly,” the commission said in a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, and the APC candidate commended the INEC and security operatives for a job well done, urging electorate to maintain law and order for peaceful election.
“The issue of violence in our election in Kogi State is a media creation and figment of the imagination of all those who do not want good things to happen here in Kogi State,” Bello said after casting his ballot.
The PDP candidate, Dino Melaye, according to one of his aides, who preferred not to be named, refused to cast his vote in the election because he was dissatisfied with the conduct of the election.
“He failed to show up at his polling unit to vote, alleging that the election was fraught with irregularities,” the aide said.
Melaye, in a statement he later posted on X, asked the INEC to cancel election in five local government areas of the state.
“INEC must cancel the election in the five local government areas of Kogi-Central. The election in Okene, Okehi, Ajaokuta, Adavi, and Ogori/Mangogo is a scam coordinated from the highest level of INEC,” Melaye said.
Ada Peter
