Kogi guber: Melaye, Ibrahim kick against result of PDP primary

Some aspirants are protesting against the declaration of Mr Musa
Wada as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the Nov.
16 governorship election in Kogi State.

The Chairman of the governorship primary election committee,
Ahmadu Fintiri, told newsmen on Wednesday in Lokoja that Wada
emerged by polling 748 votes to beat 12 other aspirants.

Fintiri, who is the Governor of Adamawa, also disclosed that
another aspirant, Abubakar Ibrahim, polled 710 votes to come
second, while former Gov. Idris Wada came third with 345.

Other aspirants and their scores as announced by Fintiri were
Sen. Dino Melaye, 70 votes, Aminu Abubakar Suleiman, 55, Victor
Adoji, 54, Erico Ahmeh, 42, AVM Salihu Atawodi (rtd), 11, Mohamed
Shaibu, 4, Bayo Averehi, 2, Emmanuel Omebije, 9 and Mrs Grace
Adejoh polled 0.

The committee chairman said that he decided to announce the
results, having been satisfied that the conduct of the primaries
had complied substantially with the provisions of the party’s
constitution.

He said that 2,388 delegates were accredited for the election
while 2,109 votes were cast. He also said that 54 voided votes were
recorded, with 244 unused ballots, while 247 ballot papers could
not be accounted for.

But Melaye expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct and the
outcome of the election.

He claimed that the winner was allowed to bring over 600 votes
from his house which, he said, the committee accepted and counted
in his favour.

Melaye, who spoke through his agent, Mr Femi Obalemo, said that
he would appeal the decision of the committee.

Also speaking, Ibrahim, who came second, said that the winner
defeated him with 38 votes, which, he said, was not up to the
missing 247 ballot papers.

He expressed the confidence that if the missing ballot papers
could be recovered, he would emerge the winner.

Wada, who was declared winner, appealed to other contestants to
accept the result in good faith and in the interest of the party,
promising to carry them along in all the processes leading to the
real election.

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