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The coalition of all Political Parties that contested Saturday bye election in Kogi State have rejected the conduct of the election citing government induced harassment, intimidation and disruption of voting process in some polling units.
The political parties that rejected the polls are Kogi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Accord Party, and Social Democratic Party (SDP).
In the statement signed by Bode Ogumola, Comrade Ade Usman, Publicity Secretary of the People Democratic Party (PDP) and African Democratic Congress (ADC) respectively, on behalf of the coalition, the parties described as horrible the shooting of two prominent citizens by APC thugs who were hired to snatch ballot boxes at Maigeri polling units in lokoja.
The parties described today’s Lokoja Kogi federal constituency bye election as lacking credibility, not meeting the least standard of electioneering any where ever in the world.
The political parties said today’s bye election was characterized by the use of Security Agencies to disrupt the election.
The parties said the State government officials were given cover by the Police, SARS, to protect political thugs in police uniforms who were snatching ballot boxes.
They called for the outright cancellation of the exercise.
They particularly fingered the Kogi State Chief of Staff Edward Onoja for using security agencies and thugs to disrupt election in most polling units in Lokoja.
They particularly said with the cover of security agencies, thugs carted away ballot boxes in Paparanda, St Mary Primary School, Adankolo, Bishop Crowther Lokoja, Lokoja Club and several other units in Kogi (Koton Karfe) local government area.
They particularly fingered the Council Administrators of Kogi, Omala, Okene, Ijumu amongst others as government officials who perpetrated violence and used political thugs and the security agencies to make the bye election lacked credibility.
The political parties wondered why ADC to Governor Yahaya Bello and OC Mopol were dishing out command to their men to aid thugs to snatch boxes at the units when it was glaring that they were loosing.
The parties said the bye election was characterised by vote buying, with the APC opening shops in polling centres to buy votes, adding that the election was compromised, thus faulting the credibility of the election.
Aside the press conference the parties said it has however reported its complaints to INEC and security agencies.
It particularly called on President Mohammadu Buhari to set up a panel enquiry that would determine the level of violence perpetrated by the APC led administration leading to several deaths on the peace and law abiding citizens of the state.
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