Kogi: INEC Declares West Senatorial District Contest Inconclusive

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Monday, November 18th, 2019

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the senatorial election in Kogi West district held last Saturday – November 16, 2019 inconclusive.

INEC Returning officer, Mr. Olayinde Lawal said the declaration was due to the fact that the margin between Smart Adeyemi of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and Dino Melaye of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was lower than the number of registered voters in 53 polling units of 20 registration areas in the zone where elections were cancelled.

Adeyemi, reports indicated scored 80,118 votes as against Melaye who polled 59,548 –leaving the difference at 20,570. The number of registered voters in the affected areas is 43,127.

The Returning officer said he was constrained by law not to declare a winner because of the lead margin between the leading candidates.

Consequently, he announced that a new date for the conduct of a supplementary election in the 53 polling units before a winner can be returned would be announced.

Prior to the declaration, Melaye has while speaking to journalists in Abuja Sunday, rejected the results collated so far, describing the exercise as ‘’helicopter’’ election.