INEC in Kogi State has officially acknowledged a disturbance at its state headquarters in Lokoja, as reported on Wednesday morning. The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Hale Longpet, issued a statement confirming that a mob hindered attorneys representing political parties from inspecting election materials related to the recent off-cycle governorship election.
Longpet elaborated on the situation, stating that the mob effectively blockaded all entrances to the INEC office, obstructing staff from performing their regular duties. The intervention of the Nigerian Army was required to restore order at the State Headquarters, with security agencies pledging to uphold normalcy on the premises.
He assured all concerned parties and litigants that despite the disruption, the Kogi State office is dedicated to facilitating unimpeded access to the necessary materials for prosecuting their petitions.
The incident unfolded following a decision by the Kogi State Election Petition Tribunal in Lokoja. The tribunal, on Saturday, granted counsel to Murtala Ajaka, the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the court’s permission to compel INEC to provide access to materials and documents utilized in the November 11 gubernatorial election in the state.
Presiding Tribunal Judge, Justice Yusuf Ado Birnin-Kudu, mandated that INEC grant access to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and other electronic materials within a 48-hour timeframe. Despite the disruption, the commitment to ensuring a transparent and accessible process for legal proceedings remains a priority for the electoral commission in Kogi State.
