Pro-Faleke protesters storm Kogi INEC office

Scores of Kogi State women yesterday protested the declaration by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that the November 21 governorship election is inconclusive.

The women, mostly supporters of James Faleke, the running mate to the late Prince Abubakar Audu, laid siege to the commission’s head office in Lokoja, the state capital.

They vowed not to vacate the place until INEC put things right.

Decked in black apparel, the placard-carrying women sat strategically at the entrance to INEC’s office, anger on their faces.

A detachment of policemen from the nearby police headquarters kept watch on them to forestall a breakdown of peace, following the tense situation the “inconclusive” poll had caused.



The women carried garri, water and other edibles to show their readiness to spend a long time at the INEC office.

They accused INEC of plunging Kogi State into political turmoil and uncertainty.

One of the protesters Mrs. Folashade Joseph said INEC created the problem and must hasten to solve it.

She said: “We are here to register a protest about INEC’s declaration that the election was inconclusive and to let the commission know that it created the problem.

“INEC wants to deliberately set Kogi on fire, for reasons best known to the commission.

“We have over 2,400 polling units in Kogi State. We do not understand why INEC said the November 21 election is inconclusive. In 91 polling units, which had issues, according to INEC, the registered voters are only 49,000, out of the over 500,000 people that voted in Kogi State. Of this 49,000, only 28,000 have the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to vote. This means the votes expected cannot be more than 28,000.

“APC was leading with over 41,000, which shows that the party was victorious in the election. INEC should have clearly declared the election concluded and announced APC the winner.

“INEC has treated Kogi State very unfairly and is responsible for the various factions that have broken out in APC. The election it intends to conduct is a mere waste of time and resources.

“We are going to sit here till INEC reverses by doing the right thing and announcing that Audu/Faleke won. They won for APC, they have a joint ticket.

“We are calling on well-meaning Nigerians and the President, who is our father, to intervene so that the right thing can be done.”

Another protester, Mrs. Olabisi Sunshine, said: “We have already done an election. We want INEC to release our result for the Audu/Faleke mandate. The result they have is outright win for the APC candidacy.”