Supporters of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate Murtala Ajaka in the November 11 election in Kogi State have protested at the State Secretariat of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in Lokoja over the outcome of the election.
The protesters who were against what they termed “INEC’s dubious tampering with election materials”, began peacefully, until some of them began throwing harmful objects and harassing passers-by.
They were demanding the commission to move the election materials to Abuja.
A protester who identified himself as Danjuma said they were sure the materials at the INEC Office had been compromised by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“We have it on good authority that the APC and Yahaya Bello have tampered with the election materials. The materials they are taking to the tribunal have already been doctored. So we are calling on INEC to take the original material to INEC, or we will make Kogi State ungovernable.
“Those who stole the mandate of Kogi East must not live to enjoy it. We are calling on the President and also the National Chairman of INEC to ensure the doctored materials are immediately replaced with the original ones before they are presented at the tribunal. Anything other than that will be resisted,” he said.
However, security agencies on Wednesday morning, prevented the protesters from attacking the INEC Office, as they fired teargas to disperse the protesters.
The police also barricaded the road leading to the commission’s office.
Reacting, the Director, Media and Publicity/Spokesperson of the Kogi APC Governorship Campaign Council, Kingsley Fanwo, dismissed the allegations as senseless and called on the authorities to call the SDP to order.
He said his party would assess the situation and make its position public later, adding that “the SDP people know they have no evidence to back their claims. They are playing the victim to cover their shame.”
Fanwo told the SDP to allow the tribunal to sit peacefully and give INEC the breathing space to do their work as required by the law.
INEC had declared Usman Ododo of the APC winner of the November 11 governorship election with a wide margin, polling 446,237 votes to defeat his closest rival, Murtala Ajaka of the SDP, who got 259,052 votes. Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party polled 46,362 votes.
