The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State on Saturday
accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of double
standards over its acknowledgement that the Commission registered the state
governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello twice in violation of the Electoral Act.
The party in a statement issued in Lokoja by its
Publicity Secretary, Prince Bode Ogunmola, said the development was a
vindication of the party’s earlier stance on the voter’s registration status of
governor Bello, adding that the APC-led government in Kogi was foisted on the
people of the state.
"It is not untrue that Yahaya Bello was not legally
qualified and had no moral standing to run for election in Kogi State, in the
first place, since he has never been a registered voter in the state.
"It was not for nothing that some of his party members
were not happy and openly disagreed with the way the national body of the APC
imposed his gubernatorial candidature on them. The state is presently groaning
under a leadership that has no place in moral justice.
"Our party is taken aback by the revelation that Yahaya
Bello registered as a voter for the second time on Tuesday, 23rd May, 2017 in
Government House, Lokoja. This, to us, smacks of double-standard on the part of
the electoral body".
"The questions INEC needs to ask itself are: Did the
officer(s) of the commission that registered Yahaya Bello for the second time
not know that he had claimed to be a registered voter? Does it mean that INEC
has no record of voters in its data bank, thus allowing double registration? No
doubt, somebody is not ready to stand by the truth somewhere.
"We expect that this outright violation of electoral
law will not be swept under the carpet as the Electoral Act adequately prescribes
the appropriate penalty for anyone that violates the law.
"It is, therefore, not enough to cancel the second
registration without ensuring that the necessary penalty is meted out,"
Ogunmola said in the statement.
By Itodo Daniel Sule
