JUST-IN: INEC Orders Fresh Election In Nine Wards Of Kogi LGA

• The results so far announced in Kogi State show the election is a tight race between the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Usman Ododo and the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Muri Ajaka.
• The Commission wishes to reiterate its assurances to voters in Kogi State that their votes will continue to count and their wishes respected,” Haruna stated.

In the Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area of Kogi State, there will be new polls held in 59 polling units, according to an announcement made by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday.

The commission states that a new election will take place on Saturday, November 18, 2023.

This was disclosed by Mohammed Haruna, the INEC National Commissioner, in a statement on Sunday night.

The electoral authority reported that it had received information from Kogi on the suspension of elections in some state sites where result sheets had been finished prior to the start of voting.

INEC further stated that the decision is without prejudice to its avowed commitment to follow the audit trail of personnel and materials to ascertain those who may have been complicit in undermining the process and apply appropriate sanctions where necessary.

“The most critical incident occurred in nine out of 10 wards in Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area (LGA). Elections in the other nine wards (Eni, Okibo, Okesi, Ileteju, Aiyeromi, Ugugu, Obinoyin, Obatgben, and Oturu) involving 59 polling units and 15,136 registered voters remain suspended,” part of the statement reads.

The commission said it acted “in line with Section 24(3) of the Electoral Act 2022 and Clause 59 of INEC Regulations and Guidelines on the Conduct of Elections 2022, a fresh election will be held on Saturday, 18th November 2023 in the affected polling units.”

WITHIN NIGERIA reported that election results from 18 of the 21 local government areas in the state have been collated as of Sunday evening.

However, there’s an indication that the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Murtala Ajaka, and his All Progressives Congress (APC) counterpart, Usman Ododo, are in a tight race.

WITHIN NIGERIA recalls that Dino Melaye, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), raised the alarm on Saturday over “filled result sheets” in the Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area of the North Central part of the state.

Melaye also called for the suspension of the exercise over violence and vote-buying. INEC subsequently suspended elections in nine wards in the local government area.