Kogi Guber: INEC under fire for upholding results despite alleged over-voting

<p>The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has come under fire for going ahead to collate results despite instances of alleged over voting in Saturday’s governorhip election in Kogi State.</p>, <p>Some stakeholders alleged that election results displayed on the IREV portal revealed cases of over voting in Okehi, Adavi, and Okene LGAs. However, the Kogi State Collation Officer, Prof. Sani Mohammed, went ahead to uphold the results.</p>, <p>The situation has sparked concerns about the democratic process in Kogi State, with stakeholders demanding immediate intervention from INEC headquarters to address the alleged irregularities and uphold the integrity of the electoral system</p>, <p>Commenting on the development, Murtala Ajaka, the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), noted that INEC cancelled results in Bayelsa over cases of over voting and urged the Commission’s headquarters to intervene in Kogi.</p>, <p>Speaking at a press briefing, Ajaka said, “We are being punished for being obedient to the law. We had every opportunity to inflate the result in our own local government but we decided to be on the side of the law.</p>, <p>“When people are oppressed, we are left with no alternative but to defend ourselves. Given the current trajectory, if this pattern continues, we will be compelled to protect our democracy, and we are committed to doing so if providence permits.”</p>, <p>Meanwhile, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (SDP), Senator Dino Melaye, has called for the annulment of the November 11 governorship election, citing widespread irregularities that he deems unprecedented in the state’s history.</p>, <p>Addressing the media at a press conference in Lokoja, the state capital, on Sunday, Melaye expressed dismay at the irregularities that marred the Saturday election across all three Senatorial Districts, describing the electoral process as ‘shameful and unhealthy’.</p>, <p>Melaye specifically highlighted instances in the five local governments of the Central senat