CDD: Kogi supplementary poll is an opportunity for INEC to address many flaws

The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) says Saturday’s supplementary election in Kogi west senatorial district is an opportunity for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to address many flaws.

In a statement on Friday in Abuja, Idayat Hassan, CDD director, said the November 16 election in the state was tainted by electoral malpractices and violence.

Olayinde Lawal, the returning officer, had declared the exercise inconclusive because the cancelled votes (43,127) was higher than the margin between Smart Adeyemi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

While Adeyemi polled 80,118 votes, Melaye trailed with 59,548 votes, leaving a margin of 20,570 votes.

INEC had fixed November 30 for a supplementary election to decide the winner.

“This supplementary election is an opportunity for the electoral stakeholders, especially INEC and the security agencies, to address the many flaws we saw on November 16,” Hassan said.

“CDD observation showed that the polls of November 16 were seriously tainted by a myriad of electoral malpractices, which fundamentally undermined the integrity of the process and outcomes in Kogi and Bayelsa State.

“CDD hopes the security agencies, which failed to protect voters and poll officials the last time out, have taken due note of the local and international condemnation which greeted their abysmal performance on November 16, and are ready to make amends.

“Apart from the task of ensuring the electoral space is safe, CDD calls on the respective agencies to proactively curb the menace of vote-buying, which would be rife in this supplementary election.

“CDD calls on eligible voters to come out to vote for a candidate of their choice. We equally restate our call to political actors to play by the rules, and refrain from sponsoring thugs to disrupt the process and cause harm to voters and poll officials.”

Hassan added that the CDD election analysis centre (EAC) would deploy observers across the polling units where the supplementary election will hold.