Kogi West Senate election may hold on Nov.16- says INEC

By Bimbo Ogunnaike

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that it may conduct a fresh election

for the Kogi West Senatorial district on November 16,a date  fixed for the state gubernatorial poll.

The INEC National Commissioner in charge of Kogi, Nasarawa and Kwara States, Mohammed Haruna, made this disclosure on Friday while answering questions from newshounds on the Court Appeal judgment nullifying the election of Senator  Dino Melaye.

It would be recalled that the Court of Appeal in Abuja nullified the election of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP)’s Melaye and ordered INEC to conduct fresh election within 90 days of its judgment.

The judgment was on the petition filed by the candidate of the All Progressives (APC),Senator Smart Adeyemi in the February 26 election.

Haruna was in the state for a workshop on fake news organised for media executives, journalists and bloggers by the International Foundation for Electoral System (IFES) in collaboration with INEC.

The INEC national commissioner, who told the participants to be wary of fake news and its implications, saying that unverified news should not be allowed space, also enjoined them to support INEC to institute credible electoral process in the country.

On concern in some quarters on the possible manipulation of the card reading machine by unscrupulous politicians, the national commissioner dismissed it as “practically impossible’’.

He also assured that the commission would allow a level playing ground for all candidates in the election, but appealed to them to play the game according to rules.

The state Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Adeiza Jimoh, assured that journalists would be professional in the discharge of their duties before, during and after the election.

He commended the IFES and INEC for organising the refresher for his members, saying that the workshop is timely.