ABUJA – Protesters and counter-protesters clashed on Thursday at the Independent National Electoral Commission headquarters in Abuja, as tensions rose over the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System in the recent Kogi State governorship election.
Speaking during the demonstration, Davies said: “We are pro-government, we stand for the Nigerian people, and we support the rule of law. Our purpose is to advocate for the preservation of INEC’s accreditation process. If accreditation were not beneficial, INEC would not have endorsed it. Meanwhile, the Election Transparency Advocacy Coalition , led by Barrister Peter Ugwuoke, countered with a protest of their own, backing INEC and the All Progressives Congress .
“We are here today in solidarity with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, which has become a target of unfair and wicked propaganda by politicians who are bad losers. INEC conducted the governorship election in Kogi State with professional competence, making the election a substantially true reflection of the choice and wishes of the Kogi State electorate.
“The politicians who are crying foul are the ones who failed to win the election. They are trying to discredit the election because they were defeated. We urge INEC to ignore their antics and continue to do its job with professionalism and integrity. Muritala Ajaka, the SDP candidate, has appealed the decision, alleging fraud. He had previously sought to inspect the BVAS materials used in the election.