PDP Reject Results Of Bye-Elections In Kogi, Katsina

PDP Kicks Against Bye-Election Results In Kogi And Katsina

The Peoples Democratic Party, in Kogi and Katsina states, have rejected the results of the bye elections in Lokoja/Kogi Federal Constituency and Katsina North Senatorial Zone, which took place on Saturday.

Mr Sam Ohuetu, the Chairman of PDP in Kogi State, stated this at a news conference in Abuja on Saturday.

Ohuetu claimed that the election was not free and fair, and further stated that it was ruled by violence, snatching of ballot boxes and vote-buying.

The PDP Chairman alleged that appointees and key officials of Kogi State Government who were not indigents or voters in the constituency, at the period of the voting too time out to intimidate and harass electorate with thugs and personnel of security agencies.

The PDP chairman said, “Accredited voters were not allowed to vote as armed thugs shot sporadically into the air after accreditation, forcing the electorate to flee. This was widespread in Osuku in the Kotonkarfe area of the federal constituency“.

Ohuetu alleged that while preparing for the by-election, there were reports of movement of thugs and hoodlums into Lokoja and Kotonkafe local governments, from other parts of the state and from other states.

He claimed that the party was already drafting a petition which is expected to be submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The Chairman of PDP in Katsina State, Alhaji Salisu Majigiri, on Sunday also stated that the party would challenge the results.

He said, “We reject the results of the by-election in its totality. The election was fraught with vote- buying, using of government officials to coerce traditional rulers, and all sorts of discrepancies that we shall disclose at election tribunal.

“What happened at the by-election was like what happened during the Ekiti State governorship election and all these do not augur well for the development of democracy in Nigeria.

“We are challenging the results at the tribunal as we cannot allow all these to happen in the 2019 general election.”

Recall that Naija News reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission on Sunday declared Ahmad Babba-Kaita, as the winner of the Katsina North Senatorial Zone by-election and also declared Alh. Haruna Isah, winner of the Kogi bye-election.

Prof Hudu Ayuba-Abdullahi, INEC Returning Officer for the election, stated that Babba- Kaita scored 224,607 votes, while Kabir Babba-Kaita, of PDP, scored 59,724 votes.

Meanwhile, the Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has congratulated the winner of the just concluded by-election, Alhaji Haruna Isah.

In a statement on Sunday, the governor charged the winner to remember that the people who chose to vote for him did so believing that he would represent their interest at the National Assembly.

The statement added, “Governor Bello also extended his goodwill message to the winners of the by-elections in Bauchi South Senatorial District and Katsina North Senatorial District, Alhaji Lawal Gumau and Alhaji Ahmad Kaita respectively.”

INEC had declared Isah, who polled 26, 860 votes, the winner of the election.

The Returning Officer, Prof. Rotimi Ajayi, announced that the PDP candidate, Bashir Gegu, polled 14,845.