The Forum of 16 Political Parties in the just concluded Kogi state governorship elections has strongly condemned in totality the call for cancellation of the governorship election by some civil society groups.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Alhaji Yahaya Bello winner of the election.

Bello polled a total of 406,222 votes to defeat his closest rival and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Engr Musa Wada, who scored 189,704 votes.

His declaration as winner of the election by INEC, has generated public outcry from some opposition parties, civil societies, and observers as they are of the view that the election, which was allegedly marred by with violence, electoral malpractice, ballot box snatching, intimidations should be cancelled as it is a mockery on the nation’s democracy.

But, on a contrary view at a press conference Monday, the spokesperson of the Forum of Political Parties Dr Sani Shaibu Teidi, said It has become necessary to make their stands in the protection and stability of the growth of Democracy in the state.

Dr Teidi, who is the governorship candidate of YDP, therefore, stated that 16 out of the Governorship candidates have accepted the result of the election.

“We, however, condemned in totality the call for cancellation of the election by civil society saying the reasons are because of the enormity of waste and loss of lives that might occur in the course of re-run of another election.

“We are also appealing to all kogi stakeholders to accept the winner for participatory governance,” the statement added.

The coalition chairman urged all aggrieved political parties to play the game by the rules,adding that maintaining unity in Kogi State is the panacea for development of peace.