Governorship candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Kogi State, Murtala Ajaka, has claimed that there were irregularities in Saturday’s election but said he won’t challenge the declaration of the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress(APC), Usman Ododo, as the Winner.
After the keenly contested three – horse governorship race, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the All Progressives Congress((APC) Governorship candidate, Usman Ododo, as the Governor – elect to succeed Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State.
Ododo emerged winner with 446,237 votes, defeating his closest rival, Muritala Ajaka of the SDP, who polled 259,052.
Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), came a distant third, garnering mere 46,362 votes.
The Returning Officer for the Kogi State governorship election, Prof Johnson Urama announced Ododo winner on Sunday evening.
“Ahmed Ododo of APC, having certified by the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” Urama said .
But reacting later, Ajaka said he won’t challenge Ododo’s victory in court if he loses as it will be a waste of time.
He disclosed this while Speaking on Channels TV’s ‘The 2023 Verdict: Off-Cycle Elections.’
Ajaka claimed that the election was rigged with the support of the INEC but asked why was he agitated if he had evidence to prove a case of rigging, the SDP candidate said the commission told them to relax as the allegation would be looked into, lamenting that there was no investigation into it at the end of the day.
“In the whole of the five local governments in central, the whole of the five local governments in central, there was no election anywhere. They wrote results. Result sheets were given to Yahaya Bello.
“In Okene local government, they turned out over 130,000 votes, haba! And INEC accepted that result and what is on the BVAS is less than 30,000.
“With all due respect to the person of the INEC chairman, if they don’t do a checklist and investigate their officials that went to Kogi State and allow this to stand, I doubt if there will be election in 2027.
“Because people will go into that election armed and I fear Somalia will be a child’s play.
“If we knew it would be the same old music, we would have played along with that old music by inflating the results from my area.
“When the commission told us yesterday that they were looking into this case, we were hopeful, that is why everybody relaxed. Only for them now to collate these results. It is annoying. Three local governments are producing 230,000-something votes.
“What am I going to court to do when the same INEC that did this is going to come as a witness to defend what they did? So it is a waste of time. Except the party people because I’m hugely disappointed. If the INEC chairman allows this to stand, they are looking for trouble in Nigeria.
“You gave me assurance that the election would be transparent, you allowed me to waste my time, spend my money, mobilise my people, only for you to write the results. Even if I’m not sad about it, you expect my supporters to be happy. I assure you if they allow this to stand as they are allowing in all the states now, they are calling for anarchy in this country.”
The Daily Crucible had earlier reported that INEC would conduct fresh elections in some wards in Kogi State as a result of irregularities.
