Kogi West Rerun: Collation Ends As Melaye, Adeyemi Set To Know Fate

Dino Melaye Smart Adeyemi

The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Dino Melaye, and that of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Smart Adeyemi, are set to know their fate in the Kogi West senatorial district election.

This comes as voting ends in all polling units where a rerun election is taking place in the senatorial zone.

The Independent National Election Commission (INEC) conducted the rerun on Saturday after it declared the November 16 poll inconclusive.

Although the poll favoured Senator Adeyemi who polled 80,118 votes as against Senator Melaye’s 59,548 votes, INEC said the margin of 20,570 votes between the two candidates was lower than the number of cancelled votes in 53 polling units of the 20 registration.

INEC’s decision to conduct a fresh election in the senatorial district was in line with the order of the Court of Appeal in Abuja, which dismissed an appeal filed by Senator Melaye challenging the nullification of his election.

Addressing reporters on Saturday in Lokoja, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kogi, Prof James Apam, blamed the low turnout of the electorate on poor mobilisation by political parties.

He spoke to journalists shortly before embarking on a monitoring exercise, noting that the political parties ought to have convinced their supporters to come out and cast their votes.

Channels Television gathered that while the election was peaceful in Mopa Amuro and Kabba Bunu, only a few people came out to vote.

The election has since ended and votes being counted at various polling units while residents await the final collation of results by INEC and the subsequent declaration of the winner.