The leadership of the Kogi state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has called for the cancellation of the results of the just concluded bye-election in the state.
The PDP made its call on Sunday through a statement by the State PDP Chairman, Samuel Uhuotu a day after the outcome of the poll was announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The PDP alleged that the election was rife with gross irregularities like thuggery, massive vote buying and ballot snatching which led to the death of two persons in different parts of the state.
The PDP further alleged that the cancellation of more than 19,000 votes by INEC placed the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) at an undue advantage over the PDP.
The opposition party also requested that some officials of the Kogi state government who were seen moving around polling units with thugs on the Election Day be arrested and prosecuted by the Police.
Read: Two People Killed In Kogi Bye-election Ballot Snatching Violence
The PDP Chairman alleged that the government officials were present at the polling units despite the fact that they had no business to be there not being from the constituencies where the bye-election was held.
The INEC Returning Officer, Professor Rotimi Ajayi, had declared Mr Haruna Isah of the APC as the winner of the bye-election conducted in Lokoja/Kogi Federal Constituency on Saturday.
Professor Ajayi said Isah polled 26,860 votes to defeat his rival from the PDP, Bashir Abubakar, who scored 14,845 votes.
The bye-election which had started peacefully was later marred by extreme violence and massive vote buying just like what occurred in the Ekiti Governorship election.
Eyewitnesses reported vote buying by party officials in the presence of Kogi state government officials as well as security agents attached to the polling units.
The Federal INEC commissioner for Kogi State had said that election results would be cancelled in areas where violence had been recorded.