The All Progressives Congress (APC) has been barred from taking part in the Kogi east and central senatorial districts rerun election scheduled for February 20, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said. INEC’s State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mallam Halilu Pai, disclosed this yesterday in Lokoja, at a stakeholders’ meeting in preparation for the rerun elections scheduled to hold across 1,988 polling units in the state. He explained that the exclusion of APC from the rerun election was in compliance with the dictates of the ruling of the court, which had particularly ordered that APC and its candidates should not be part of the rerun poll. The APC is also excluded from participating in the reruns for Okene/Ogori-Magongo federal constituency, Ofu and Ankpa I State Assembly. Meanwhile, all the political parties that took part in the 2015 general elections (APC inclusive) are expected to take part in the State Assembly rerun election for Dekina I (Biraidu) Dekina II (Okura) and Idah State Constituency. Pai said the rerun election will hold in 14 local government areas of Adavi,Ajaokuta, Ankpa, Bassa, Dekina, Ibaji, Idah, Igalamela-Odolu, Ofu, Ogori-Magongo, Okehi, Okene, Olamaboro and Omala with a total of 1037695 registered voters. He said a total of 9,806 adhoc staff comprising Returning Officers, local government collation officers, presiding officers and assistant presiding officers, amongst others will conduct the election. Pai urged political parties and other stakeholders to sensitize their supporters on the need to conduct themselves in orderly manner to ensure a hitch-free rerun election just as the police have assured of adequate security during the election. Daily Trust reports that an Appeal court ruling had earlier nullified the elections of Senator Abubakar Abdulrahaman (Kogi East APC) and Senator Mohammed Abdulsalami Ohiare (Kogi Central APC) on grounds of non-conduct of primaries and ordered for rerun election within 90 days. National Chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, had two days ago alleged that INEC was making attempts to bar his party from contesting elections in Anambra and other states.
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