Kogi Women ‘Report’ INEC to ‘Ancestral Spirits’

Some women in Kogi Central say they have reported the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to their ‘ancestral spirits’ following the outcome of the 2023 senatorial election in the district.

Development Diaries reports that the women in a white ritual demonstration called on the commission to review what they called ‘injustice’ and declare Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan as winner of the February 25 election in the district.

It is understood that the white ritual is done at sacred times to invoke the ancestral spirits of war against those who cheat or cause pain to the land.

kogi women

INEC declared the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Abubakar Sadiku-Ohere, as the winner of the election following the irregularities that marred the process.

The INEC Returning Officer for Kogi Central, Professor Rotimi Ajayi, announced the result on Tuesday in Okene.

However, Akpoti-Uduaghan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) rejected the outcome of the election over the alleged manipulation of the processes, doctoring of figures, cancellation of polling units where she won and invasion of many polling units by armed thugs loyal to the ruling party.

A statement issued by the Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan Campaign Organisation Tuesday said the electoral process in Okene local government area was ‘highly manipulated in connivance with the electoral officials’.

‘APC thugs invaded many polling units in Okene local government, chased out voters and snatched ballot boxes which were filled in private residence’, the campaign organisation said.

It further accused APC and officials of the commission of disregarding electoral guidelines, adding that they ‘fraudulently rigged Okene local government area with high number of overvoting’.

‘The results of the 11 Wards in Okene local government were highly doctored’, it noted.

INEC had promised that there was no going back on the use of bimodal voter registration system (BVAS) for the 2023 elections.

However, that did not happen as the commission allowed the transmission of results manually, thereby raising concerns over election transparency.

The use of BVAS for elections in Nigeria is stipulated in the Electoral Act of 2022.

Development Diaries, therefore, calls on the commission to publish a comprehensive report of BVAS across the senatorial district alongside the results of the senatorial elections.

Ahead of the state-level elections, we also call on INEC to strictly adhere to the provisions of the Electoral Act.

As for aggrieved citizens, we urge them to remain law-abiding and await INEC’s review of the process as provided for in the Electoral Act.

Photo source: Nigerian Tribune

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