Kogi Poll: Women Occupy INEC Office, Declare Support for Faleke

Kogi Poll: Women Occupy INEC Office, Declare Support for Faleke

04 Dec 2015
Hon. Abiodun Faleke,
Atabor Julius in Lokoja
 Women believed to be supporters of deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC)  in the inconclusive November, 21 2015, election in Kogi State, Hon. Abiodun Faleke, yesterday  barricaded the INEC state  headquarters office in Lokoja, urging the commission to declare Faleke the winner of the election.

 The women who wore black attires,  lampooned the  commission for declaring the election inconclusive, saying they will not  vacate the premises  until INEC declares APC and Falake the winner of the election.

 The protesting women armed with placards, sat at strategic locations and the entrance of the INEC office, while a detachment of policemen from the nearby state police headquarters kept close watch to forestall the  breakdown of law and order.

 The women accused INEC of plunging the state into political turmoil for not declaring  Prince Abubakar Audu and Hon. James Abiodun Faleke, of the APC the winner,  stressing that the excuse given by the commission could not stand the test of time.

 The spokesperson  of the  women, Mrs. Folashade Joseph, said INEC created the problem and must hasten to solve it.
“We are here to register a protest about INEC’s declaration that the election was inconclusive, and to let them know that they are the ones that have created this problem now.

“INEC wants to deliberately set the state on fire for reasons best known to it. We have over 2,400 polling units in Kogi State. We do not understand why INEC will say election was  inconclusive in 91 polling units.

“With the registered voters of only 49,000, out of the over 500,000 people who voted in the state, and out of this  only 25,000 have permanent voters’ cards (PVCs) to vote, which means the votes expected cannot be up to  25,000.

“APC is leading with over 41,000 and had won 16 local government areas out of 21  which shows that the party was victorious in the election and INEC should have clearly declared the election concluded and announced APC winner.

“INEC has treated Kogi State very unfairly and is responsible for this various factions that has come up in APC. The election they intend to conduct is a mere waste of time and resources.

“We are going to sit out here till INEC reverse itself by doing the right thing and announce  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 wade in, so that the right thing can be done,” Mrs Joseph said