The outcome of the 2023 Presidential and Governorship elections in Kogi State have caused a great deal of controversies, with discrepancies in the voters analysis, leaving the tribunal unsettled. The then Governor of Kogi State, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, who lost the presidential primaries to the current President, His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, promised to mobilize voters, especially youths, from across the country, including Kogi State, to secure victory for the President.
Interestingly, Yahaya Bello, who contested for the office of the President, only received 47 votes, which happened to be his exact age at the time. Despite spending significant resources campaigning for his ambition, he only managed to secure this minuscule number of votes. In contrast, during the General election, President Tinubu received 22,000 votes from Okene Local Government, which happens to be Governor Bello’s home constituency..
It is worth noting that the same year, November to be precise, the Governorship election held, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reported that the All Progressives Congress (APC) garnered 138,000 votes in Okene, with Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo as their candidate.
This has raised several concerns among the political observers and analyst. Firstly, there were no new voter registrations or any civil unrest that would have caused an influx of people from other states into Okene Local Government. Therefore, the rejection of President Tinubu by Kogi State voters, despite Governor Bello’s assurances, suggests that the allegations of the Governor colluding with other political parties to undermine the President were true.
It is important for President Tinubu to thoroughly assess the performances of former and current Governors who have promised to deliver their support in the future. Some of these Governors may be chameleons, changing their loyalty when it suits them..
As the Kogi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal continues its proceedings in Abuja, the issue of miraculous votes in Kogi Central has been brought up for scrutiny. The petitioner has raised concerns about pre-filed results, over-voting, and the eligibility of the APC candidate, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo. There is a general belief that the election results in Kogi Central will not hold due to evidence provided, such as BVAS reports, backend results, certified true copies, and oral testimonies of voters and other witnesses, which confirm irregularities such as over-voting.
As we near the end of the thirty day grace period given to the petitioner to defend their case, we look forward to seeing the response from the respondents, particularly the APC and its candidate, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo.
Solomon Agada
Wrote from Abuja.
