As at the time of filing this report, the All Progressives Congress candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu is in the lead with the People’s Democratic Party candidate and Kogi State governor, Capt Idris Wada alleging there is a grand scheme to rig him out.
Audu, according to unofficial figures from different parts of the state, appeared to have won in most of the local government areas in the Kogi West Senatorial District.
These are Yagba East, Mopa-Moro and Ijumu while incumbent Governor Idris Wada won in Yagba West and Kabba-Bunu.
Audu was also leading in six of the nine local government areas in Kogi East where he and Wada come from.
In Kogi Central the Labour Party candidate, Dr. Philip Salawu won in Okehi LG while Wada won in most of the LGs in the zone although with slight margins.
The state resident electoral commissioner, Hassaa Pai announced late last night that collation of results from the local government areas would commence at 6am today.
The PDP was all jitters soon after the close of voting in the election yesterday with its flag bearer alleging that the poll was programmed to deny him a second term.
Wada said there was a plot to rig the election and alter the people’s will.
A visibly irked Wada told reporters after casting his vote at about 3.40pm that he should not have been treated so shabbily in his own unit where a card reader malfunctioned and accreditation continued beyond 1pm.
He complained bitterly about the delay, but did not name those he suspected of engineering the plot.
Wada arrived at his polling unit at about 3.30pm, but had to wait in his car for 10 minutes before voting.
When he arrived, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials were still stamping the ballot papers. He was the first to vote.
After voting, he said: “quite unfortunately, from what I’ve seen here, there seems to be a deliberate attempt to frustrate all this mass of people who have come out here to exercise their civic responsibility.
“I’m not happy at the slow pace. Why are we voting at this time? There were incidence forms, they should have started using them earlier.
“We kept waiting after accreditation to start voting. It’s wrong the way they’re going about it, signing the ballot papers now, which should have been done earlier.
“They have no excuse. Nobody has given any credible excuse for the slow pace of work here. This is why people are insinuating that there is a deliberate attempt to deny many people of an opportunity to vote, which is wrong. There is no need for that. Let’s have a process which is credible, then everybody will go home, whatever happens.”
Wada said state-wide, he received reports of ballot boxes snatching in some local government areas and some wards such as Ogodo and Iyano, as well as stuffing of ballot boxes with thumb printed ballot papers.
“All this are going to be documented and pursued with INEC, because after all the voter education and all that, it will be sad for our country when such things are allowed to happen. It should be a free and fair competition and I don’t know why people are doing this.
“Some individuals have been mentioned. We’ll pursue it with INEC at the appropriate time. There are issues of fake soldiers, fake policemen intimidating people at the voting point. These are completely unnecessary.
“What is the point of having periods of campaign to convince voters to vote for you if some devious people go about planning to bring in fake soldiers, fake policemen to disrupt the process? It’s unfortunate,” he said.
According to the governor, who did not name names, the plot was hatc?hed in Kogi rather than Abuja.
“I’m not suspecting the involvement of the Federal Government. This is a local arrangement here in Kogi State.
“What is next is that we’ll wait, collate all the reports and whatever result is declared we’ll have our position after that,” he said.
On the turnout, he said: “It has been very impressive. People are very enthusiastic. And this is where the frustration sets in. This is why we need an expeditious process for people to discharge their responsibilities and go home. That’s how it should be.”
Accreditation of voters began on time in various polling units in Kogi East Senatorial Zone. At Government Secondary School, Anyigba, voters queued up to get accredited.
There was heightened security presence on the roads, with police officers and soldiers mounting several road blocks and conducting searches on motorists, even those conveying journalists.