Kogi central: Natasha rejects result, head to court


…Accuses APC of rigging

Senatorial candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in Kogi state, Natasha Hadiza Akpoti has rejected the outcome of last Saturday’s senatorial election in Kogi Central Senatorial district, describing it as a ‘sham.’

She has, however, expressed optimism that her mandate would be recovered at the court of law.

Addressing a press conference Thursday in Abuja, Natasha said the just concluded election epitomises everything wrong in Nigeria’s electoral process and showcased the inadequacies in the country’s security system which she added grossly affected the country’s democracy, especially as it pertain to women in politics. 

According to Natasha, the election was manipulated and rigged in favour of the APC candidate.

“What started as a peaceful election ended up being one of the most horrible daylight rape of our democracy.  Ballot boxes were snatched and destroyed. Card readers were stolen and many tampered with in order to accept without verification and in many places card readers were not used at all.

“Pre-thumb printed ballot papers were stuffed into the ballot box. Breach of the INEC security measures was evident with the use of 2015 stamps. Multiple voting by illegally acquired PVCs was used in their thousands by APC, Kogi state. There were impersonations by people who voted more than 10 times with different cards. 

“I, Natasha Hadiza Akpoti vehemently reject the result of the recently conducted Kogi Central Senatorial elections which took place on the February 23th, 2019.”

Natasha said her agents were harassed and chased out of many polling units in Okene, Ogori-Magongo, Ajaokuta and Adavi LGAs “where collaborations with the INEC staff enabled APC to rig and shamefully falsify SDP agent’s signatures into the result sheets. 

“The aforementioned and more can be proved with hard concrete evidences. We believe the judiciary is the last hope of the common man and trust that the rule of law shall be applied in defending the people’s mandate at the tribunal.’’

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