25th November, 2019
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has made a volte-face over its threat to boycott 30 November supplementary poll in Kogi West senatorial district.
In a fresh statement, the party urged its members and supporters to brace up and get ready for a triumphant supplementary election.
The outcome of the poll will determine the winner of the seat, between incumbent PDP Senator Dino Melaye and challenger, Smart Adeyemi of the All Progressives Congress.
The court-ordered rerun election was declared inconclusive by the INEC because the margin of win was less than the 46,127 cancelled votes in 53 polling units.
INEC Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Olayide Lawal, while announcing the outcome, said that the candidate of the APC, Smart Adeyemi, polled 80,118 votes while Dino Melaye of the PDP got 59,548.
INEC fixed Nov. 30 for the conduct of the supplementary election in the district.
National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan said that nothing would deter PDP from picking the Senate seat.
Ologbondiyan called on all PDP members, supporters, citizens and voters in Kogi West to be united.
He urged them to be “ready against any repressive forces that might attempt to forcefully invade any polling unit, disrupt electoral process or alter results as witnessed in the Nov. 16 elections”.
He said that Kogi, and particularly Kogi West, remains home of PDP and the people were not ready to accept any impunity.
”Our party charges the people of Kogi to come prepared to vote, protect their votes and ensure that they stamp their will on the ballot despite the odds.”
He cautioned security agents as well as INEC officials against subverting the will of the people, adding that such was “capable of attracting dire consequences”.
“The party directs its members to stay united under their leaders in the area as they will continue to be updated of vital information ahead of the election.”
Ologbondiyan said that the PDP was mourning compatriots killed in the Nov. 16, restating that their death would never be in vain.