Kogi Election Marred By Intimidation, Violence; PDP Points Accusing Fingers at APC

SWITZERLAND, NOVEMBER 16 – As the governorship election in Kogi State proceeds today, voters across the 21 Local governments in the states have cast their votes. However, Today’s Echo observes that there have been sporadic cases of violence and electoral malpractices in various units.

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of sponsoring most of these violence against electorates and malpractices.

Read Also: TE Editorial: Ethnicity, Violence, and Other Issues that Will Determine Kogi Guber Election

There are also reports of late arrival of voting materials in several areas.

Prominent PDP chieftain, Senator Dino Melaye, who is contesting in a senatorial rerun accused Sunday Faleke, a top chieftain of the APC of leading thugs to disrupt voting in his ward.

” Shortly after I left my pooling unit one Sunday Faleke led thugs who shot sporadically and carted away the ballot box,’ Melaye tweeted on Saturday afternoon.

Also, the PDP reported that Amade Godwin Edime, a member of Governor Yahaya Bello’s campaign team from Egume was moving round Anyigba town with armed policemen on Election Day intimidating voters.

In another development, some suspected thugs were arrested with weapons on their way to Ogbabede in Ajekeya. The PDP also accused APC of sponsoring them.

Also, at 06 polling unit, Obeiba Ward 1 Ihima Okey Local Government, thugs invaded the unit with weapons and attacked electoral officers and voters. Again, the APC is fingered.

In ajetachi polling unit, thugs snatched voting material and drove off to Our Lady’s schools for alleged rigging.

There is also tension in Gbeleko in Egbeda as the Speaker of Kogi State House of Assembly was accused of engaging in multiple voting and ballot stuffing.

Stay here for more coverage on the election.