The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has announced Nov. 30 as date for the conduct of supplementary and re-run elections for Kogi West Senatorial District and Ajaokuta Federal Constituency respectively.
The announcement was made via a statement issued by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr. Festus Okoye, in Abuja on Thursday.
According to him, the decision was reached at a meeting held on Thursday.
Recall that the appeal court had nullified the election of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP’s Dino Melaye’s as Senator representing Kogi West in the February 23 elections and ordered a rerun.
The election had been challenged by the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Smart Adeyemi.
The statement recalled that: “In addition, the court ordered the conduct of Supplementary re-run poll in Ajaokuta Federal Constituency affecting 22 Polling Units.”
READ ALSO: Melaye, Adeyemi To Slug It Out Nov. 16 – INEC
At the end of the re-run election on Saturday, November 16, supplementary polls were indicated by the Collation/Returning Officer for the Kogi West Senatorial District.
INEC Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Olayide Lawal had announced the candidate of the APC, Smart Adeyemi as polling 80,118 votes while Dino Melaye of the PDP, got 59,548.
He said that votes were cancelled across 53 polling units across 20 Registration Areas in the senatorial district with 46,127 registered voters due to violence and snatching of ballot boxes.
Okoye, assured that collation procedures shall be in line with extant Guidelines for Collation at the Supplementary polls, adding that the list of affected registration areas and polling units would be uploaded on INEC website and communicated to the stakeholders in the respective registration areas and polling units.
He pleaded with all the political parties and stakeholders to cooperate with the commission “for conclusive free and credible elections in the affected areas.”
