The leadership of Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) on Friday unanimously called for the
cancellation of the upcoming May 4 Local Government areas election in Kogi State after faulting the activities of the state electoral body.
Addressing a joint news conference in Lokoja today, ACN chieftain and former House of Representative Member representing
Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu, Dino Melaye fingered that the ruling party, People Democratic Party (PDP) has finished voting and are only waiting to announce the results at the government house.
Mr Dino alleged that there are many irregularities they have already uncovered with which the PDP in collaboration with the commission, stressing that the electoral activities stage-managed by the Captain Idris Wada led government are in no interest of the people.
The former Kogi representative said both parties will do everything to stop the elections on Saturday from holding as strong indications in the desperation of the ruling party’s to win the council polls.
According to him, we have it on strong Intel on plans of the ruling party to provide inadequate electoral materials in some local
government areas where the two political parties are having overwhelming supporters.
Mr Dino queried why the basic perquisites for elections are yet to be made by the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission.
“There is conflict of interest in the role of the electoral body chairman who is a former aspirant and card-carrying member of the
ruling party; all the presiding officers and returning officers are official so the ruling party.
“We are not going to participate and won’t allow tomorrow (Saturday) election to hold because the basic perquisites for elections have not been met; the election is about the people and it should be in the best interest of the people of the state not for the ruling party.
“We want to inform the government that if they are ready to conduct a fair and free election, we are ever ready to beat them to it -we will make sure that the election does not hold, so that the government and the ruling party will know we are no longer asleep.”
“Voter registers must be displayed forty-eight hours before the elections at various wards, while the polling units to be used must be
marked but nothing have been done,” they queried.
The Kogi ACN Chairman, Mr Haddy Ametuo, while backing the move, said the two political parties has lost faith in the transparency and fairness of the electoral body due to it double standards.
The Chairman of CPC in the state, Mohammed Mabo-Kassim said he expected the electoral commission to work in line with the local
government electoral law of 2004, stressing that reliable information has it that the election has been concluded and will be announced at the government house.
