The recent gubernatorial election in Kogi State has caused a stir as the opposition party, Action Alliance (AA), has outrightly rejected the declared outcome. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced Ahmed Usman Ododo of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) as the victor, a decision adamantly disputed by AA.
Speaking at a press conference in Lokoja, Kogi State, AA Chairman Fred Ambo vehemently denounced the election as fraudulent, citing instances of alleged ballot box snatching and manipulations in various polling units across the state. He called for the complete nullification of the entire exercise, emphasizing the party’s intention to challenge the election’s outcome in court.
“INEC promised us a free and fair election, but what we witnessed was a show of shame. There was blatant ballot box snatching, and the results were predetermined to favour a specific political party. Our mandate has been stolen,” Ambo expressed passionately.
He further added, “The party declared winner by INEC, if truthful to themselves, knew they did not legitimately win the governorship election in Kogi State. Why were they apprehensive about our candidate, Olayinka Braimoh?
“They wielded their power to unjustly arrest him without cause, solely to subvert the will of the people. The Kogi State governorship election on Saturday is deceptive and unacceptable. We are pursuing legal recourse to address this injustice,” he declared firmly.
Simultaneously, the Olayinka Braimoh Bridge Movement, a support group, has urged the Police authorities to probe the arrest and detainment of the Action Alliance’s gubernatorial candidate on election day.
During an address at the party secretariat in Lokoja, the group’s Coordinator, Richard Olalekan Aro, censured Braimoh’s arrest in Kabba on election day.
