The election petition tribunal sitting in Kogi state has ordered Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct fresh senatorial election in 14 local government areas of the State on February 20. According to the Kogi State Resident Electoral Commission (REC), Mallam Haliru Pai, the re-run election will hold in 1, 988 polling units of the 14 local government.
Speaking during a stakeholders meeting today, February 4, Pai disclosed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) will not participate in the Kogi Central and Kogi East senatorial election following the court ruling which barred the two candidates and the APC from contesting.
He said the ruling party will not participate in federal constituency election into Ogoro/Okene federal constituency as a result of court ruling, adding that only the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) is eligible for the re-run election. The REC also noted that the APC and its candidates will not participate in the Ofu and Ankpa 1 re-run, but that the party will participate in Idah, Dekina/Biraidu and Okura re-run.
He stressed that in Idah, re-run will only take place in one unit, Ogegele ward, unit 003.
Pai assured that the election would be free and fair, adding that the reason why re-run election will take place in the 14 local government areas of the state was as a result of non conduct of primary by one of the parties, “which led to litigation.”