During the recent presidential and National Assembly elections in Kogi State, the Independent National Electoral Commission pledged to cancel results from regions affected by violence.
In an interview the state’s resident electoral commissioner, Hale Longpet, raised the alarm after issues broke out in a number of Local government areas. According to reports, there has been scores of violence in this year elections, allegations of thug intervention at polling units in Anyigba and Dekina in Kogi East, Mopa in Kogi West, and several areas of Kogi Central, where voting materials were reportedly stolen.
In response to these problems, the REC stated, “You know the electoral Law says that where there are disruptions to the process, the result will be cancelled, the very particular units’ results will be cancelled. The issues initially were only in the Kogi East and Central but I can’t tell exactly where and where in the state have been affected until the results are brought by the electoral officers”.
“We understood that because of the violence, those affected areas couldn’t conclude election there. I’m shocked that people can go to that level and disrupt something that everybody should have enjoyed.”
In addition to lamenting the loss of life, the commissioner who spoke applauded the largely peaceful nature of the elections.
“Election is a peaceful and willful thing that people are offered to freely participate. Again, If people are given assurance that everyone will enjoy a pleasant experience, why then should we have thugs invading the whole town or the local government, disrupting the conduct of the elections?” he asked.
Source – Tru News Report
