Kogi APC panics, blast INEC for allowing Muritala Ajaka to inspect controversial Okene, Adavi, Okehi election results

Kogi State All Progressives Congress Governorship Campaign Council has been hit with panic and uncertainty as the governorship candidate of the rival Social Democratic Party, SDP, Murital Yakubu Ajaka through his lawyers will be inspecting election results today in Abuja.

Irked by the development, the Spokesperson/Director of Media and Publicity of the Campaign council and who doubles as Kogi State Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo in a statement on Wednesday blasted the Independent National Electoral Commission for granting request of SDP lawyers to inspect election results.

In a statement which was obtained by CAPITAL POST in Lokoja on Thursday, Fanwo lampooned the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Hale Gabriel Longpet and accused him of conniving with SDP agents to tamper with election materials.

CAPITAL POST gathered that, the inspection of Okene, Adavi and Okehi election materials was at the instance of Court Order mandating the Independent National Electoral Commission to allow the rival SDP legal team to inspect the materials preparatory to the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal that has been constituted and is sitting at the NJC, Abuja.

Fanwo in the statement claimed to have got a text message sent to INEC officials in Okene, Adavi and Okehi Local Government offices to appear at the headquarters in Abuja preparatory for the inspection, a development that has rattled the APC governorship campaign, insisting that SDP should not have been allowed in the first place.

It reads: “Our attention has been drawn to moves by the Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Kogi State, Mr. Hale Gabriel Longpet to aid the Social Democratic Party in compromising/tampering with and or destroying electoral materials used in the concluded 11th November 2023 Governorship Elections in Kogi State.

“It will be recalled that the Social Democratic Party and its Candidate obtained an Ex-parte Order of the Tribunal on the 25th day of November 2023, directing INEC to among other things, allow an inspection of electoral materials used for the Governorship Election for the purpose of assisting the SDP and its Candidate institute and maintain a Petition which at the time had not been filed. INEC was given only 48 hours to comply with the said orders which includes all forms, registers, result sheets, ballot papers and BVAS machines.

“Upon being served with the Order on the 27th day of November 2023, INEC filed a Motion before the Tribunal on the 29th day of November 2023 praying the Court to set aside the said Orders contending that the Tribunal lacked the jurisdiction to make the said Orders and for other reasons such as apparent contradictions in the said Ex-parte Order.

“That Motion to set aside dated and filed on 29/11/2023 is to our knowledge still before the Tribunal as it has not been heard.
“It must also be noted that till date, the said Order for inspection granted on 25/11/2023 has not been served on the winner of that election, Alhaji Usman Ododo and the APC who are listed as parties in the said Order of Court.

“Most importantly is the fact that the Petition in respect of which the order of inspection was initially sought and granted was filed on the 2nd of December 2023 with the SDP and its candidate admitting at paragraph 92 of the contentious Petition that INEC had given them documents contained in the Order which included Voters Register, BVAS Accreditation Reports and Result Sheets.

“With the above background in mind, It is therefore shocking to learn that the REC of INEC in Kogi State, who works for a body which has asked a Court to set aside the Ex-parte Order for inspection it made, is now organizing an inspection exercise in Abuja for the SDP and its Candidate, an exercise which is fully and financially sponsored by the SDP and its candidate. Specifically, the REC sent out the following messages to affected Staff of INEC in Kogi State.”

“The above messages no doubt shows the desperation of the Kogi State Resident Electoral Commissioner who has been heavily compromised by the Social Democratic Party, its Candidate, and their cohorts.

“It is clear that the SDP and its Candidate who claimed to have filed their Petition have an ulterior motive regarding the election materials used for the conduct of the November 11 Governorship Election in Kogi State and the REC Kogi State who is on their payroll is willing and ready to assist them to tamper with these materials.

“The REC by the above message is willing to comprise other staff of INEC by allowing the SDP pay for their transportation, accommodation and other logistics for an assignment which ought to be an official assignment.

“The Law which set up and regulate the activities of INEC does not confer on INEC’s legal opponents to fund INEC’s official assignments.
“The above message from the REC has clearly shown that he is no umpire and that he is no longer worthy of the position of a REC as he has been heavily compromised even before this exercise as he has an established financial relationship with the SDP and its candidate who have been dealing with him through the said Barrister Olowo.

“It is unfortunate that the REC in charge of Kogi State has decided to soil his hands in a case which legality of filing is still in contention till date. He has clearly failed the test of impartiality and integrity and has clearly misrepresented the nobility of INEC.”

Fanwo said, there was a motion filed asking INEC to set aside inspection of materials for the governorship election, hence, the inspection slated for Thursday should be stopped.

He called for administrative disciplinary action against the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Kogi State, Mr. Longpet, insisting that he has been compromised.

“Having been heavily compromised by the SDP and its Candidate. The message from the REC is an admission of graft by him and a final nail on his fraudulent activities in the State. He has clearly misrepresented the integrity and legal interest of INEC.

“Suspend or redeploy the REC from Kogi State pending the outcome of the disciplinary process against him.”