Civil society organisation, YIAGA Africa, says the results of the November 11 governorship election in Kogi State corroborated its reports drawn from 278 of 286 (97.2%) sampled polling units during the poll.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had on Sunday declared Usman Ododo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the highly contested election.
YIAGA Africa, which deployed observers and the Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) methodology to observe the election, said the outcome of the poll reflected what transpired at the polling units.
The group made this known during the presentation of its Process and Results Verification Statement on the November 2023 Off-Cycle Governorship Elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States on Monday in Abuja.
On Kogi State result verification, YIAGA Africa said : “Based on reports from 278 of 286 (97.2%) sampled polling units, Yiaga Africa’s statistical analysis shows that the All Progressives Congress (APC) should receive between 47.0% and 59.0% of the vote, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) should receive between 4.8% and 7.4% and Social Democratic Party (SDP) should receive between 31% and 42.4% of the vote. No other political party should receive more than 1.2% of the vote.
“INEC’s turnout and rejected ballots for the 21 LGAs as announced are consistent with Yiaga Africa WTV PRVT estimates. Yiaga Africa’s turnout estimate is between 34. 4% and d 43.6% (39.0% ± 4.6%) while INEC’s official turnout is 40%.
” Similarly, Yiaga Africa estimates rejected ballots are between 0.9% and 1.5% (1.2% + 0.3%) while INEC’s official rejected ballots number is 145%…….
” INEC oficial results for the 2023 Kogi State governorship election are consistent with Yiaga Africa’sWTV estimate (specifically, it falls within Yiaga Africa’s WTV estimated range). Had the official results been changed at the ward, LGA, or state collation centres, the official results would not have fallen within the Yiaga Africa WTV estimated ranges.”
The group, however, expressed concern over incidents of pre-filled election result sheets in few polling units, saying such act negated democratic norms.
” The incidence of pre-filled results sheets before accreditation and voting in some wards in Ogori-Magongo, Okehi, Adavi, Okene and Ajaokuta, as reported by Yiaga Africa and other election observer groups, including the outcome of INEC’s investigation, undermines the results from the affected LGAS, ” YIAGA Africa added.
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