INEC Promises Credible Rerun Elections In Kogi

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has offered assurances that it would conduct free, fair and credible rerun elections in Kogi State.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Samuel Usman, gave the assurance while speaking at a stakeholders meeting at the electoral umpire’s headquarters in Lokoja, the capital of the northern Nigerian State.

Mr Usman explained that reason for convening the meeting of political parties, civil society organisations and security agencies was in preparation to conduct a repeat of the poll and avoid another cancellation.

He pleaded with various stakeholders at the parley to work in partnership with INEC for credible results.

In his remarks, the acting Director of the National Orientation Agency in Kogi State, Abdullahi Mohammed, pointed out some pitfalls to avoid during the election period.

While a representative of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Samuel Adejoh, complained of non-inclusion, the Kogi State Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Sam Abenemi, blamed security agencies for electoral problems.

In his reaction to the response by the INEC Legal Officer of the State, Hammed Usman, the APC’s representative refused to sign the resolution.

This comes after rerun elections in the state’s east senatorial district and the House of Assembly elections of February were declared inconclusive following reports of ballot box snatching and other malpractices.