Election Observer group, the Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA) has called on the Independent National Elctoal Commission (INEC) to cancel Saturday's governorship election in Kogi state in the face of the widespread violence that characterised the polls

In its preliminary report on observation of the Kogi poll, the CTA said the elections were marred by widespread violence, vote buying and selling, observer intimidation and harassment and could not pass for a free and credible poll.

In the statements signed by CTA Executive Director, Faith Nwadishi, the group said the governorship and Kogi West Senatorial elections in Kogi state has left in its trail sad stories of impunity, violence and security breaches leading to deaths and injuries.

She said the CTA is miffed at the inability and or failure of security agencies to intervene or try to stop hoodlums from perpetrating violence especially in the snatching of ballot boxes and disruption of collation process at polling units, as most of the security personnel ran for their lives leaving voters, INEC officials and observers at the mercy of the rampaging mobs.

She said, "This level of of desperation by the political class should not be rewarded by making a return on this election in Kogi state in its entirety. This is unacceptable and the outcome of the election should not be allowed to stand.

"CTA therefore calls for the outright cancellation of the results for the governorship and the senatorial election. CTA also calls on the Nigeria security agencies to live above board and help the electoral process by being neutral at all times."

Explaining further she said, the level of electoral violence in the Kogi election was quite high.

Accordimg to her, "There was widespread violence throughout the state, but more especially so in areas of Ganaja, Lokoja, and Kogi West and Kogi East. At least, by the time of this report, six persons have been reportedly killed, 4 of them were killed during an attack at a Polling Unit located at Adankolo LGA Primary School in Lokoja.

"Our observers were lucky to escape an attack in Ganaja when youths in the area blocked the highway along Ajaokuta leading to Lokoja and engaged in pitch battles with the security services. Earlier in the day, they had witnessed a battle between community members and thugs trying to snatch ballot boxes in one of the Polling Units in one of the villages near Ayingba. They had to turn back before actually getting too close to the incident because of the heavy gunshots they were hearing.

"Equally, INEC officials including Resident Electoral Commissioners who were supervising the elections were held hostage at Salem University before a detachment of heavily armed security personnel came to their rescue."

It would be recalled that the CTA in an earlier statement had accused the political class of insincerity to contribute to the substance of the nation's democracy is again called to question.

She said, "the widespread incidences of violence and vote buying clearly indicate that the main political parties are still committed to sabotaging our democracy. The level of desperation displayed in these elections show they do not respect the electorate.

"They seem bent on installing violence and vote buying as permanent features of our elections. After what our observers witnessed yesterday, the only conclusion we could come to is that the conduct of the political parties and their agents has cast a serious slur on the credibility of the elections."

Nwadishi said votes were bought and sold between N500 and N5000 per vote and the buyers were seen with bundles of cash openly moving around the voting precincts, paying people who voted for their candidate.

The CTA boss commended voters turnout for the elections despite initial fears of violence. She said reports from Observers deployed by CTA across the states indicated that there was a good turnout of citizens in the early hours of the day.