The Independent National Electoral Commission on
Monday reversed its earlier declaration that the Kogi-
Central senatorial rerun election was inconclusive.
The electoral commission, which on Sunday, declared
the election as inconclusive, said on Monday, that the
candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Ahmed
Ogembe, won the election.
INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Rotimi Ajayi,
at Okene, the headquarters of the senatorial district,
said the presiding officers in charge of the areas that
were initially cancelled, had copies of the results that
were said to have been destroyed by hoodlums during
the election.
He stated that INEC officials later used the copies with
the presiding officers to compute the final results,
leading to the emergence of Ogembe as the winner.
He stated that Ogembe got 46,503 votes to beat the
candidate of the Peoples Progressive Alliance, Senator
Nurudeen Abatemi, who scored a total of 32,169 votes
while the Social Democratic Party candidate, Dr. Wokili
Moses, got 10,064 votes to come third.
Ajayi said all the valid votes cast were 89,214 while
1,368 votes were rejected. He declared Ogembe the
winner of the election.
It will be recalled that the Returning Officer of INEC, Mr.
Salihu James, had said on Sunday that Ogembe scored
45,468 votes while Abatemi scored 31,163 votes and
Wakili got 9,962 votes.
James had announced the cancellation of the results of
Otutu ward. He also announced the cancellation of the
results in two polling units at Upogoro in Okene and
Inozomi wards.
He subsequently declared the rerun inconclusive
following the cancellation of results in some areas over
alleged electoral malpractices.
Meanwhile, Ogembe has assured the people of the
district of his commitment to develop the district.
He said he would lobby the Federal Government towards
revamping the Ajaokuta Steel Rolling Mill, which he said
had been abandoned since the past 30 years.
Speaking with journalists at the INEC office in Okene,
Ogembe, who is the incumbent Chairman of Okene Local
Government Council, said he knew the basic needs of his
constituency and would attend to them.
He commended the people of Kogi-Central and INEC for
what he described as a free and fair election, saying his
victory reflected a popular choice.
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