PDP rejects Okura bye-election result, demands fresh poll
The Kogi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the outcome of the August 16 bye-election for Okura State Constituency in Dekina Local Government Area, calling for its cancellation and a fresh poll.
In a statement issued in Abuja by its state chairman, Enemona Anyebe, the party expressed dissatisfaction with the conduct of the election, citing alleged irregularities and voter disenfranchisement.
According to the PDP, the election did not take place in a significant number of polling units in the constituency, and electoral materials were reportedly unavailable or inaccessible in some locations.
The party also raised concerns over the disparity in the declared results, noting that the figures released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) differed sharply from previous voting patterns.
INEC declared 55,073 votes for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and 1,038 votes for the PDP. The opposition party said the results were inconsistent with those of the 2023 general election and questioned the possibility of such a large turnout given reports of low voter participation.
The PDP urged the electoral body to conduct an impartial review of the process and called on INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to take steps to reinforce public trust in the electoral system.
“As a responsible political party, we have remained calm and restrained in our response because we believe democracy must thrive without conflict,” the statement concluded.
