The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared that there would be fresh polls in 59 polling units in the Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area of Kogi State
INEC National Commissioner, Mohammed Haruna, made the disclosure in a statement on Sunday night said the fresh election will be held on Saturday, November 18, 2023.
Election results from 18 of the 21 local government areas in Kogi State have been collated as of Sunday evening.
Results from Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ankpa, Bassa, Dekina, Idah, Ijumu, Kabba/Bunu, Kogi, Mopa-Muro, Olamaboro, Ofu, Okehi, Omala, Ogori/Magongo, Okene, Yagba East and Yagba West LGAs have been announced.
Results of Ibaji, Igalamela-Odolu, and Lokoja LGAs are being awaited by the State Returning Officer, Prof Johnson Urama, who is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
The candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Usman Ododo was leading the race with a reported vote difference of 200,000 followed by his Social Democratic Party (SDP) conterpart, Murtala Ajaka.
Aside from Ajaka and Ododo, who was ex-Auditor General of Local Government in Kogi under Governor Yahaya Bello, other strong contenders in the race include Leke Abejide of the African Democratic Party (ADC) and Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Melaye had on Saturday, raised the alarm over “filled result sheets” in the Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area of the North Central state. The PDP candidate also called for the suspension of the exercise over violence and vote buying. INEC subsequently suspended election in nine wards in the local government area.
In its statement on Sunday, INEC said it received an update from Kogi regarding the suspension of election in some locations in the state where result sheets were completed before the commencement of voting.
“The most critical incident occurred in nine out of 10 Wards in Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area (LGA),” the statement added.
“We received reports of similar and other incidents in Adavi (5 Polling Units in Okunchi/Ozuri/Onieka Ward), Ajaokuta (5 Polling Units in Adogo Ward), Okehi (1 Polling Unit in Eika/Ohizenyi Ward) and Okene (5 Polling Units in Obehira Uvete Ward). Results from the affected Polling Units have been accounted for in Form EC40G for the four LGAs.