Melaye rejects Kogi gov election results

The candidate of the People Democratic Party (PDP), Dino Melaye, has rejected the result of the Saturday’s governorship election declaring the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Ahmed Ododo the winner.

Melaye described the election as a sham and charade, saying “the purported APC victory was a pure daylight robbery that can not withstand democratic test in all measure.”

The INEC state returning officer for the election, Prof. Johnson Urama had on Sunday, declared Ododo after securing a total of 446,237 votes, while his main challenger, Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Peoples Democratic Party scored 259,052 votes.

The governorship candidate of people’s Democratic Party, Dino Melaye polled 46,362 to came distant third.

Speaking on the outcome of the election, Melaye said that the irregularities that marred Saturdays election in all the three Senatorial Districts was unprecedented in the history of the state and should not be allowed to stand.

He described the exercise as ‘shameful and unhealthy” , regretting that INEC has not learnt any lesson to realise , ameliorate and palliate the problem they created to democratic process during the general elections in the country, still repeating the same in the governorship election.

Melaye said: “Yesterday in the Five local government of Central Senatorial districts in Kogi State , there was no election in the end surprisingly accreditation was done manually , the BVAS was not used Prepared sheets manifested even before accreditation and evidence is all over media.

“INEC as matter of urgency must cancel the election , many areas where I won , my agents were told there were no available result sheet to enter the result and we have evidence to back up this claims

“As I speak to you it is shameful that this what our democracy has descended from to. INEC has manifested ever than before, that they can not be trusted , they are biased, they are compromised and they can not be neutral umpire.”

He said that INEC officials, youth corps members were caught yesterday with prepared result sheets even before the commencement of the processes.A youth corps member was arrested with prepared result and N1 million.

He said: “They was deliberate suppression of my my votes in Lokoja and Kogi local governments. This was deliberately done by governor Yahaya Bello and APC to make sure that even their orchestrated arrangement I don’t come second.

“Because they do believe that there will be a a second ballot and they believe if there is a second ballot I have influence and tremendous support in the central and I can make an in road in the East.So they preferred any other person to become second.”