The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday declared its candidate Governor Idris Wada as the winner of the governorship election in Kogi State.

According to the party, its standard bearer at the polls on November 21 and December 5 scored 201,877 votes against All Progressives Congress (APC) Yahaya Bello’s 6,885 votes at the supplementary election. The PDP said Wada had more votes than Bello and therefore, should be returned by INEC.

The election which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared inconclusive on November 21, was deemed to have been concluded at the weekend, with voting in 91 polling units across 18 local government areas.

It was won by Bello of the APC. Bello was named the party’s candidate following the November 22 death of its former candidate Prince Abubakar Audu, who looked good to unseat Wada after polling 240, 876 votes on November 21.

But the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, described Bello’s declaration as winner of the poll by the electoral umpire as “a waste of time” that will not stand.

According to the PDP, INEC’s declaration of Bello as winner amounted to a “waste of time, a waste of scarce national resources and ridiculous shadow-chasing”. It insisted that Bello did not participate in the entire election and as such, could not be declared the winner.

To the PDP, “INEC declared Bello winner just to satisfy President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC. INEC has made a mockery of itself and the entire electoral process”.

By the PDP’s reckoning, Bello scored only 6,885 votes in the supplementary election, against Wada’s 204, 877 votes in the overall election.

The statement reads: “The action of INEC in trying to transfer the votes earlier garnered by the dead APC candidate, Prince Audu Abubakar, to another individual is completely impractical and alien to the nation’s Constitution and the Electoral Act.

“The declaration by INEC that one Yahaya Bello polled the highest number of votes is an embarrassing travesty of the nation’s democracy and electoral process.

“Not only that this individual is not in any way a valid candidate in the election, he also did not score the overall votes declared against his name by INEC and cannot be declared winner under any circumstance within the provisions of our laws.

“The provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act are clear to the effect that with the unfortunate death of Prince Abubakar Audu before the conclusion of the election, and the fact that the laws do not permit the replacement of candidates once the balloting has commenced, the APC crashed out of the race, leaving the PDP candidate, Governor Idris Wada, as the clear winner, having garnered 204,877 votes to top all other contestants since, Prince Ababakar, the hitherto leading contestant, died with his votes.

“It is, therefore, unfortunate that INEC disregarded the provisions of the Constitution and the Electoral Act, which left it with no other legitimate option than to declare Governor Idris Wada the governor-elect. Instead, it went ahead to preside over a charade, for which it is now attempting to illicitly hand over the vote cast for a dead man to another person, who did not participate in the overall election.

“We all, including INEC and the APC, know that nothing other than declaring Governor Idris Wada winner of the election fulfills the requirements of the law under the circumstance.

“The APC cannot have two candidates in one election and the bitter in-fighting within their fold shows the absurdity of INEC’s decision in that regard. Indeed, we remain shocked that INEC could elect to create such embarrassing and inciting setting just to show its ‘friendship’ with the ruling government.

“Our advice to the APC, Yahaya Bello and their co-travellers in illegality is that theirs is a mere pipe dream as Governor Wada remains validly elected within the dictates of our laws under the circumstance.”

“Finally, we charge all our members and supporters to remain calm and resist all provocation from the APC, which is now seeking the opportunity to trigger violence in the face of their misfortune, especially as the law will soon take the center stage, right the wrong created by INEC and declare Governor Wada winner.”

On the Bayelsa State governorship election, the PDP accused the APC of manipulating the process.

Speaking through Metuh, the PDP alleged plots by the APC and the military to rig election in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, which was rescheduled till yesterday following the disruption of the process on Saturday.

Five persons were reported killed in the violence that ensued as the election got underway on Saturday

Metuh, in a statement, alleged that the plot was being coordinated by “the same Army Major, who supervised the killings yesterday”.

The statement accused the unnamed officer of having handed most of the sensitive electoral materials to APC agents to fill and return as authentic results.

“The Southern Ijaw Local Government Area is the largest local government in the state and the APC wants to use this scheme to inflate result figures in favour of their candidate,” the statement read.

IS THAT HOW PDP ARE CONFUSED?

To the PDP, “INEC declared Bello winner just to satisfy President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC. INEC has made a mockery of itself and the entire electoral process”.
“The declaration by INEC that one Yahaya Bello polled the highest number of votes is an embarrassing travesty of the nation’s democracy and electoral process.

Now i know that PDP is more confused than APC!

The MESS wey dem make for ministerial screening never do them!

Winner in their dreams

Truth must be told that most Nigerians lack animalistic intellect. Why do Nigerians get it wrong each time they have the opportunity to get it right?

I'm disappointed with the manner the elections where conducted in Kogi and Bayelsa.

I think PDP shd also quote constitution where they see that if contestant die, dies with his vote or is Olisa quoting PDP constitution. Or has PDP nao the new INEC with Metuh as dia chairman declearing WADA as kogi state govt, I think PDP dnt nid to go to court again since dey hv decleared Wada as the winner of the election....... Let the battle continue within d APC (Yahaya Bello & James Faleke)