Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party and Muritala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party, the candidates for governor of Kogi State, have declined the victory of Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress.

The Independent National Electoral Commission announced that Ododo had won with 446,238 votes, while Ajaka and Melaye had received 259,052 and 46,262 votes, respectively.

Melaye has demanded that the election be called off, noting anomalies that have never been seen in any of the three senatorial districts and expressing dissatisfaction with INEC’s unwillingness to address previous problems with the democratic process.

He said, “ on (Saturday) in the five local governments of Central Senatorial District in Kogi State, there was no election. Surprisingly, accreditation was done manually, the BVAS was not used, prepared result sheets surfaced even before accreditation and evidence is all over the media.

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

As I speak to you, it is shameful that this is what our democracy has descended to. INEC has manifested ever than before, that it cannot be trusted, it is biased, it is compromised and it cannot be a neutral umpire.”

Ajaka, through his media aide, Faruk Adejoh-Audu, has also rejected the election results, stating that they go against electoral laws.

The statement emphasized INEC’s rushed announcement of results for an election previously acknowledged by the commission as dubious and compromised in Kogi State, challenging the logic, laws, and decency associated with the process.

“The INEC has suddenly turned ostrich to pretend that the malpractices it uncovered can just be ignored and nobody, not even the victims of the electoral heist, is entitled to protest.

“In this regard, we are calling on INEC to immediately cease announcing the results forthwith until it has cancelled these areas that its criminal staff members colluded to rig the votes in favour of one candidate as exposed by I-rev.”

Kogi election: Dino Melaye, Ajaka reject Ododo’s victory

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