Kogi Poll Rigged, Going To Court Waste Of Time — SDP’s Ajaka

The candidate of the Social Democratic Party in the November 11, 2023 governorship election in Kogi State, Murtala Ajaka, has alleged that the election was rigged in favour of Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Ajaka, who was on Channels Television’s The 2023 Verdict programme on Sunday night, said going to court to contest the outcome of the poll is a waste of time as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would come as a witness to defend the outcome of the poll.

“I have been around for the past 20 years. I know what it is. What am I going to court to do when the same INEC that did this is going to come as a witness to defend what they did? So it is a waste of time. Except the party people because I’m hugely disappointed. If the INEC chairman allows this to stand, they are looking for trouble in Nigeria.

“You gave me assurances that the election would be transparent, you allowed me to waste my time, spend my money, mobilise my people, only for you to write the results. Even if I’m not sad about it, you expect my supporters to be happy. I assure you if they allow this to stand as they are allowing in all the states now, they are calling for anarchy in this country,” he said.

Last night, INEC declared Ododo as the winner of the keenly contested poll. Ododo won with 446,237 votes, defeating his closest rival, Ajaka, who scored 259,052, while Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 46,362 votes.

But Ajaka claimed figures were inflated in favour of the APC candidate and ally of the outgoing governor, Yahaya Bello.

“In Okene Local Government, they turned out over 130,000 votes. Haba! And INEC accepted that result and what is on the BVAS is less than 30,000,” he said.

“With all due respect to the person of the INEC chairman, if they don’t do a checklist and investigate their officials that went to Kogi State and allow this to stand, I doubt if there will be election in 2027. Because people will go into that election armed and I fear Somalia will be a child’s play.

“If we knew it would be the same old music, we would have played along with that old music by inflating the results from my area,” the SDP candidate added.