A group, Kogi West Development Front (KWDF), has alleged manipulation of the outcome of February 25 senatorial election in the zone.
In a statement signed by Lukman Muhammadu and Victor Emmanuel, president and secretary general respectively, the group said the poll was allegedly manipulated against the senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Paul Tajudeen Yusuf.
The group insisted that the outcome of the senatorial election did not reflect the wishes of the people of Kogi West.
It alleged officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to use Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines in many parts senatorial zone.
“In spite of a massive support base across Lokoja, Kotonkarfe, Kabba, Yagbaland and other parts of Kogi West Senatorial zone where Honourable Teejay Yusuf’s laudable developmental initiatives have gained much respect over the years, unscrupulous electoral officials and few others from the state and local governments brazenly manipulated our votes.
“Why should the INEC BVAS be so horribly bypassed on such a large scale across Kogi West senatorial zone. Totally and very mindlessly, they ignored possibilities of igniting massive public reactions which have only been stemmed by the strident appeals from Honourable Teejay Yusuf and his associates who counsel youth to peacefully await Judicial review of the manipulated electoral process.
“We had peaceful, orderly election with widespread assumption that Teejay Yusuf whose support transcends ethnic, religious and political divides, is our collective choice; it is extremely provocative that… officials ended up subverting the people’s will with several INEC officials’ deliberate bypass of BVAS,” the group said.
The group expressed confidence that the PDP candidate will get justice in the election petition tribunal.
