The National Chairman,
Independent National Electoral Commission,
Zambezi Crescent, Maitama,
Abuja
A CALL FOR CANCELLATION OF THE ELECTION FOR KOGI WEST SENATORIAL DISTRICT HELD ON 16TH NOVEMBER, 2019 IN CERTAIN AREAS
We act as solicitors to Senator Dino Daniel Melaye, the candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the election to the senate of Kogi West Senatorial District held on 16th November, 2019 on whose instructions we write this correspondence.
We have enclosed herewith 21 copies of video discs which captured wide spread violence, gunshots and killings, disruption of the election, snatching of ballots, multiple thumb printing, several electoral malpractices and irregularities and a total sabotage of the electoral process all of which marred the election to the Senate of KOGI WEST SENATORIAL DISTRICT.
Our client implores the Commission to study painstakingly, the events captured in the said video discs which reveal that election was not conducted in Kogi State Senatorial District and to cancel the entire election to the Senate of Kogi West Senatorial District held on 16th November, 2019.
Besides the video footages, which speak for themselves, we have our client’s instruction to point out a few instances where the election was marred.
Kogi West Senatorial District is comprised of 7 Local Governments namely; KABBA/BUNU, LOKOJA, KOGI, MOPA/AMURO, IJUMU, YAGBA WEST, YAGBA EAST. The following anomalies were encountered in the underlisted Local Governments which marred the election
1.00 KABA BUNU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA
After collation of results, the Returning Officer in announcing the results of the election announced for this Local Government Area as follows:
No of cancelled votes- 22,293
No. of Registered Voters- 74, 789
No. of Accredited Voters- 26,660
Total Valid Votes- 24,223
Rejected Votes- 406
Total Votes Cast-24,629
The implication of the foregoing is that 22,293 votes were cancelled out of the votes cast by 26, 916 accredited voters, thereby leaving 4,367 votes as the valid votes cast, yet a whopping 24,223 was again recorded and announced as the total valid votes for this Local Government and was allocated to the parties in order to favour the candidate of All Progressives Congress. The effect of this aberration is that the result as declared for this Local Government is a nullity and should not be countenanced. This was demonstrated on Channels TV. See the video footage attached.
OKEKOKO WARD CODE 003
In Okekoko Ward in the same Local Government, PDP won the election with over 1000 votes but results for this Ward were not collated by INEC though there were no crisis or violence or any irregularities encountered in the election in this Ward.
ODOLU WARD CODE 04
In this Ward which is a strong hold of PDP, election was wrongfully cancelled though the election proceeded and was concluded peacefully in the polling units in substantial compliance with the Electoral Act.
EGBEDDA WARD CODE 08
The electoral ballot boxes and ballot papers for the polling units in this Ward were snatched by a team of thugs led by Prince Kolawole Mathew, the speaker of the Kogi State House of Assembly. After the multiple thumb printing of the ballot papers, they were stuffed in the ballot boxes and returned to the polling units and were utilised by INEC
EGBEDDA WARD CODE 10
There was no election in the ward, yet results was written for all polling units in the ward.
OTU WARD CODE 07
The former Local Government Executive Chairman of Kaba Bunu Local Government Area and the (Obajana of Owe land) carted away with the electoral materials. See the video footage attached.
OKEDAYO WARD CODE 09
The electoral materials were hijacked and carted away by thugs, yet results were recorded in the Form EC8B’s.
AKUTUPA WARD
The electoral materials were hijacked and carted away by thugs yet scores were entered for APC.
2.00 LOKOJA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA
KUPA NORTH EAST WARD CODE O6
The Ward Collation Officer after collation of results issued duplicate copies of the Form EC8B (I) to the agents of political parties. Afterwards, the same Ward
Collation Officer procured another Form EC8B (I) and entered different results therein and submitted it for collation at the Lokoja Local Government. When the agent of PDP raised the issue and presented a duplicate copy of the initial Ward Result (Form EC8B (I)), the Ward Collation Officer admitted that he signed and issued the said initially collated result and the INEC officials noted that anomaly. See the proceeding in the video footage attached.
KUPA SOUTH WEST (Code 07) & EGGAN WARD (CODE 10)
The Ward Collation Officers were abducted on their way to the Local Government Collation Centre and taken to the Government House where the results were changed.
KAKANDA WARD
The total number of votes cast exceeded the total number of accredited voters.
WARD A (CODE 01)
Ballot papers were taken by hoodlums and tear gas was shot by thugs to scare voters away also this was done with helicopters. In some of the attacked polling units the results were accepted by the INEC. In the polling units in Ward A, ballot papers were carted away by thugs and the electorate were dispersed with the use of teargas through Helicopters, yet results were recorded for those polling units attacked. See video footage of helicopter disrupting election with other videos in different part of Ward A, Lokoja.
3. 00 IJUMU LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA
ODOKORO/ARARUMI/OKORO WARD CODE 05
Despite the display of the appropriate result, the 2015 EC8A’s result sheets were used for the election. They have 3 polling units and PDP were scored 0. No votes were allotted to PDP even when the PDP registered party agents voted. This was perfected by the Chairman of Ijumu Local Government Area, Alh. Taofik Isah.
IYARA WARD CODE 11
Result sheets were written and votes allocated in this Ward which is the village of the candidate of the APC.
IYAH/AYEH WARD CODE 04
There was reported card reader malfunctions in the two (2) polling units in Ayeh. INEC still allocated votes to parties despite the card reader malfunction which prevented voting from taking place.
AYETORO WARD 1 CODE 02
Results were cancelled in four (4) polling units due to ballot box snatching and violence that led to two (2) loss of lives including our client’s nephew. See video footages.
AYETORO WARD 11 CODE 03
The town hall polling unit was destroyed and the electoral materials were carted away by thugs. See video footages.
4.00 KOGI LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA
Some thugs were caught with nine (9) ballot boxes by the military in NATACO but surprisingly those ballot boxes and results they were caught with were used by INEC in Koton Karfi Community.
5.00 MOPA/AMURO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA CODE 13
WARD CODE 01 & WARD 2 CODE 02
Electoral materials were highjacked and taken to the house of one APC chieftain (Clarence Olafemi) former speaker of Kogi House of Assembly, where ballot papers were thumb printed and were further returned and utilised by INEC officials. Meanwhile, there were no elections in Ward 1 & 2.
The foregoing are just a few out of the deluge of incidents captured by our client’s agents.
In conclusion, sequel to the abovementioned spread violence, gunshots and killings, disruption of the election, snatching of ballots, multiple thumb printing, several electoral malpractices, irregularities and total sabotage of the electoral process cut across all the seven Local Government Areas in Kogi State which were demonstrated in the video footages attached herein, and the facts in paragraphs 1-5 above which reveals that the election was not conducted in Kogi State Senatorial District, in substantial compliance with the dictates of the Electoral Act, 2010 (as amended) as well as the requisite Guidelines and Regulations issued for the election we urge the commission to cancel the entire election to the Senate of Kogi West Senatorial District held on 16th November, 2019.
Thank you.
Yours faithfully,
Tobechukwu Nweke, MCArb
