Dino Melaye, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi, has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of engaging in electoral malpractice during the ongoing election in the state. Speaking at his residence, Melaye alleged that the ruling party was sharing money and gifts to voters.
He raised concerns about issues in Ogori Magongo Local Government Area (LGA) and five LGAs in Kogi central, where he claimed that INEC officials were seen carrying pre-filled result sheets even before accreditation. Melaye expressed disappointment in the situation, stating, “It’s a shame that we saw filled result sheets carried not by hoodlums or party agents, but INEC officials.”
While commending INEC for the timely deployment of voting materials, Melaye emphasized the need to address electoral malpractice in Nigeria. He suggested that the APC needs to “become born again” to end such practices and highlighted the influence of money in voters’ decisions.
Melaye also praised the security agencies for their performance but urged them to ensure the security of collation centres, calling for protection at all levels. He advocated for restricting observers’ access to collation centres, asserting that only agents should be present during the collation process.
The PDP candidate emphasized the importance of securing the final collation centre in Lokoja and called on relevant authorities to prevent the infiltration of observers with ulterior motives. Melaye expressed concerns about individuals wearing observer tags causing disruptions and urged a more stringent approach to safeguarding the collation process.
