The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a former chairman, Senate Committee of the Federal Capital Territory, Senator Dino Melaye, on Wednesday protested at the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Abuja where he demanded cancellation of the Kogi West Senatorial election.
The PDP standard bearer for the rerun election was received by INEC Secretary, Rose Orianran-Anthony and National Commissioner/Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye.
Melaye who came with 21 video clips containing details of violence and indiscriminate shootings by alleged agents of Kogi State government told journalists that his determination to retrieve the stolen mandate “is a battle of no retreat, no surrender.”
The petition by Melaye dated November 18 2019 and entitled: “A call for cancellation of the Election for Kogi West Senatorial District held on November 16 2019 in certain areas”, was filed by his lawyer, Tobechukwu Nweke.
Part of the petition reads, “In conclusion, sequel to the abovementioned spread violence, gunshots and killings, disruption of the election, snatching of ballots, multiple thumb printing, several electoral malpractices, irregularities and total sabotage of the electoral process cut across all the seven Local Government Areas in Kogi State which were demonstrated in the video footages attached herein, and the facts in paragraphs 1-5 above which reveals that the election was not conducted in Kogi State Senatorial District, in substantial compliance with the dictates of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) as well as the requisite Guidelines and Regulations issued for the election we urge the commission to cancel the entire election to the Senate of Kogi West Senatorial District held on November 16 2019.”
Okoye who received the petition on behalf of the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said the commission would look into the petition and take necessary action.
ThePunch
