The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the date for the fresh Kogi West Senatorial election involving Senator Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Senator Smart Adeyemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
INEC, in a statement signed Mr Festus Okoye, Chairman of its Information and Voter Committee, said that the senate election would hold simultaneously with the Kogi governorship election on 16 November, 2019.
Okoye, on Monday in Abuja, said that the commission fixed the date after the management meeting of the commission which considered the time table and date of the election.
“The Commission has also fixed 16 November 2019 for the conduct of a fresh election in the Kogi West Senatorial District. The election will take place simultaneously with the Kogi Governorship election. This is sequel to the nullification of the Kogi West Senatorial District election conducted on 23 February 2019 by the Election Petitions Tribunal and its subsequent affirmation by the Court of Appeal which ordered the Commission to conduct a fresh election within 90 days from the date of judgment (11 October 2019) with all those who participated in it as eligible candidates,” Okoye said.
While urging all candidates and political parties to conduct issue-based campaigns, the commission also enjoined stakeholders to eschew violence and avoid acts capable of creating apprehension or a sense of fear before, during and after the elections.
The Court of Appeal had recently upheld the August 23 judgment of the Kogi election tribunal which nullified the election of Mr Melaye as the senator for the district.
In the judgement, the appellate court agreed with the tribunal which ordered the electoral commission to conduct a fresh election in the senatorial district.
