Kogi West: INEC confirms Melaye’s nomination as APC candidate

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The Independent National Electoral Commission has confirmed that Senator Dino Melaye was properly nominated as candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the last National Assembly election in Kogi West Senatorial District.

The commission in its report on the primary held on December 8, 2014, and signed by its Monitor for APC, Kogi West Senatorial Primary, Alhaji Shehu Bala Saggi, said Melaye won the primary held at the Township Stadium, Kabba, with 2,077 votes as against that of Bidemi Odeyemi, who scored 326 votes.

Saggi in the certified true copy of the report obtained by journalists on Thursday in Abuja said, “Arising from the results, Hon. Dino Melaye was returned as the elected candidate of the APC for Kogi West Sanatorial elections,” INEC said in its report,”

Meanwhile, findings by the Department of State Services have revealed that materials used for the last National Assembly election in Kogi West Senatorial District were tampered with by yet-to-be identified individuals.

The DSS findings were contained in a preliminary report, dated July 6, 2015 and issued by the DSS based on its investigation into complaints by INEC that some materials used for the election have be tampered with.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kogi State, Hussaini Halilu Pai had, on June 20 this year, reported to the DSS that some “sensitive electoral documents” used for the last election have been tampered with.

It was stated in the DSS’s report signed by I. Mustapha (Principal Staff Officer, Investigation) that “it was reported that in the quest to make available these electoral materials for tribunal proceedings in the court, multiple thumb printing were discovered on the used ballot papers among other anomalies.”

The DSS report added that in the course of investigation, several “staff from INEC both from Kogi Local Government Area and the State headquarters, who were believed to, in one way or the other, play a role in the movement and taking custody of the INEC materials were invited to the command headquarters for questioning.”

The report further stated that it’s findings, from the written statements of INEC staff interrogated, revealed that “some categories of INEC staff were, by their action or inaction, culpable for the anomalies in the said matter.

“It is observed that the matter under investigation may not be unconnected to the above categories of INEC staff, who handled the materials at one point or the other,” the DSS said.

The investigation team, who said it was yet to unveil the identity of those involved in the crime, said investigation was stalled by their inability to screen the materials, currently being used at tribunals.