The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Kogi governorship election, Engr. Musa Wada rejected the result announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and heads to election tribunal to challenge it.
INEC Returning Officer of the election, Prof. Ibrahim Garba, who announced the results in Lokoja on Monday said that Bello polled 406,222 votes to beat 24 other contestants, including Mr Musa Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who polled 189,704 votes.
Wada who was flanked by his running mate, Hon. Bamidele Aro and the PDP national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan addressed journalists at the party headquarters in Abuja Monday, said it was clear to all that there was no election on Saturday, November 16th 2019 but a declaration and execution of war against the people.
“What happened in Kogi was an organized war against democracy; coup against the people and seizure of power through brigandage and the barrel of the gun with members of the Police and other security agencies coordinating the stealing of the people’s votes, he added.
Wada also claimed that ” the Police aided armed APC thugs to invade polling units with impunity, shoot and kill voters and carted away ballot boxes to government facilities where results were written in favor of APC and handed over to INEC to announce against the will of the people.
He added that “Police helicopters were used to attack polling units, fire tear gas on voters and provide cover to APC hoodlums and policemen who brutalized the people of Kogi state and stole their mandate.
The PDP candidate also alleged that “APC turned our state into a theatre of war. No fewer than nine innocent Nigerians were killed. Many more were maimed and injured by the APC in their desperation to seize power at all costs.
H continued “It is therefore distressing that INEC went ahead with a shameful collation and declaration of fabricated results despite the glaring disruptions that characterized the shambolic exercise.
“In order to achieve this ignoble goal, INEC canceled our votes in areas of our stronghold, subtracted from our votes in many other areas and padded the votes of APC to give a semblance of victory for APC.
“The people of Kogi were horrified, brutalized and dehumanized. There have been weeping across the state since the announcement of another four years of Yahaya Bello.
“We therefore stand with the people of Kogi to state without equivocation that this brigandage and stealing of our mandate cannot stand.
“We will never despair but remain strong in our determination to retrieve the mandate freely given to us by the people in their desire for a change. We will pursue this course to its logical conclusion within the confines of the law of this country.
“We commend the people of Kogi state for their resilience in the face of all intimidation. they showed once again, that nobody can suppress their will at any time.”
“Above all, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu and the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, will surely account to God and the people for the roles they played in this election; if not in this world, then certainly in the hereafter.”
