Kogi Election: INEC Sends Warning To Party Agents Amid Anxiety At Result Collation Center

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner in charge of the Kogi State off-cycle governorship election, Dr Gabriel Longpet, has issued a stern warning to party agents, emphasizing the importance of maintaining order and not causing any disruptions during the collation of results.

Speaking to stakeholders prior to the commencement of the collation exercise at the INEC office in Lokoja, the state capital, Longpet emphasized that they were strictly adhering to the established rules and regulations governing the conduct of the exercise.

He said: “There are procedures and laws, I would not anticipate any disruptions by stakeholders, note your concerns and they will be addressed at the end of the exercise.”

On his part, Kogi State Returning Officer, Professor Johnson Ozoemenan Urama, said during the collation of election results that as electoral officials, they have taken an oath of neutrality.

He calls on all stakeholders present to cooperate with them, assuring the public that the electoral officials will dispense their assignment with fairness and honesty.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) representative at the Kogi Collation Centre, Abubakar Mohammed Mahmud, says he adopted the petition filed by the SDP.

In his remarks, however, the representative of the APC objects to the complaints made by the previous speakers, saying there were no such issues as mentioned by the SDP and the PDP.

The representative of the SDP in Kogi, David Edibo, says he has petitions concerning the elections in Okehi, Okene and some polling units in Lokoja LGA due to alleged corrupt practices and sundry issues.

He adds that party agents were not allowed near the voting areas in Okehi and Okene LGAs.