Dino Melaye, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel the off-cycle election in the state.
Melaye spoke at a press conference on Sunday in Lokoja, the state’s capital.
He alleged that result sheets manifested even before the commencement of the accreditation of voters on Saturday.
“Yesterday in the five local governments of central senatorial district in Kogi state, there was no election. In the end surprisingly, accreditation was done manually, the BVAS was not used,” Melaye said.
“Prepared sheets manifested even before accreditation and evidence is all over media.
“INEC as matter of urgency must cancel the election. Many areas where I won, my agents were told there were no available result sheet 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 ever than before, that they cannot be trusted, they are biased, they are compromised, and they cannot be a neutral umpire.
“INEC officials, youth corps members were caught yesterday with prepared result sheets even before the commencement of the processes. A youth corps member was arrested with prepared result and N1 million.”
The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has also called for the cancellation of the election in the central senatorial district of Kogi.
David Edibo, an agent of the SDP, in a petition addressed to the INEC returning officer at the collation center in Lokoja on Sunday, said the party did not accept the results of the election in five LGAs of the state.
INEC had on Saturday said it was investigating reports of pre-filled result sheets in some polling units in the state.
“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,” the commission said in a statement posted on X.
