Kogi East APC Primary: Echocho Rejects Results, Alleges Massive Rigging, Fake Collation
The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Customs and Excise, Distinguished Senator Isah Jibrin (Echocho), has rejected the outcome of the All-Progressives Congress (APC) primary election held in Kogi State, describing the exercise as a “complete charade” allegedly designed to impose candidates on party members against their wishes.
The lawmaker, popularly known as Echocho and currently seeking re-election to represent Kogi East at the National Assembly, accused officials allegedly loyal to the Kogi State Government of manipulating the entire process from Lokoja. He insisted that no genuine election took place across the wards and polling units where delegates were expected to vote.
Senator Isah Jibrin alleged that results were prepared in advance at the Kogi State Government House in Lokoja and merely announced by individuals acting on behalf of powerful interests within the party structure.
Speaking with journalists shortly after the disputed exercise, the lawmaker in said the process lacked credibility from the onset, stressing that neither officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) nor recognized APC electoral officers were present in most wards as of 10:00 a.m. on the day results were being declared.
“As I speak to you, no election was conducted in my federal constituency. By 10 a.m., when they were already announcing results in favour of a preferred candidate, no INEC official had arrived anywhere, no party official was seen, and no electoral materials were distributed,” he said.
The senator further alleged that the results were compiled and written inside the Government House in Lokoja before being handed to what he called “stooges” who moved around local government areas announcing fictitious figures to create the impression that a legitimate primary election had taken place.
“What happened was nothing short of political robbery. Results were manufactured in Lokoja and announced by people who were merely acting scripts prepared for them. That is not democracy; that is impunity taken too far,” the lawmaker declared.
He warned that allowing such practices to continue unchecked could damage the APC’s credibility ahead of the general election, especially among grassroots supporters who, according to him, are becoming increasingly frustrated with what they perceive as systematic exclusion from the democratic process.
According to the lawmaker, the alleged manipulation of the primaries poses a serious threat to internal democracy and could trigger widespread discontent among party loyalists at the ward and local government levels. He noted that many party members who travelled long distances to participate in the exercise were left stranded without accreditation materials, electoral officers, or voting materials.
He called on the national leadership of the APC to immediately cancel the exercise and order a fresh, transparent, and credible primary election across the affected constituencies. He maintained that failure to address the alleged irregularities could expose the party to avoidable legal battles and electoral setbacks.
“The party must act fast to save itself from embarrassment. If this injustice is allowed to stand, it will send a dangerous message to our supporters at the grassroots that their votes and loyalty do not matter. That will have serious consequences during the general elections,” he warned.
Despite his dissatisfaction with the conduct of the exercise, Echocho expressed confidence in the leadership of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the National Chairman of the APC, Prof. Nentawe Goshwe Yilwatda, saying he believes the party leadership at the national level will urgently intervene and correct the alleged anomalies surrounding the primary election.
“I have confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and our National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda. I believe they are committed to justice, fairness, and internal democracy, and I trust that they will urgently address these anomalies in the interest of the party and democracy,” he stated.
The senator also appealed to his supporters across the nine local government areas of Kogi East to remain calm, peaceful, and law-abiding despite the controversy surrounding the exercise. He urged them not to engage in acts capable of disrupting public peace, assuring them that appropriate democratic and legal steps are already being taken to challenge the outcome of the primary.
He insisted that democracy can only thrive where fairness, transparency, and due process are respected, adding that party leaders must resist every attempt to impose candidates through manipulated primaries.
The lawmaker reaffirmed his commitment to pursuing all legitimate channels to seek redress while urging party faithful to remain united and await further directives from his campaign organization.
