By BOLUWAJI OBAHOPO, Lokoja
The Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission, KOSIEC, has declared the All Progressive Congress (APC) winner in all the 21 local government council elections conducted on Saturday.
The state electoral body also declared the APC winner of all the 239 wards. The election was contested by other political parties in the state as voters turned out to vote for their respective candidates.
Although there was low turnout in some places, but it was peaceful throughout the state as no single crisis was recorded during the election. KOSIEC chairman, Mamman Nda Eri while announcing the result on Sunday said the All Progressive Congress (APC) won the chairmanship position of all the 21 LGA and all the councillor seats of the 239 wards in the state.
He said that the local government councils polls were free, fair and credible. However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kogi state chapter has faulted the council polls across the 21 Local Government Election of the State describing it as a big mockery to the nations nascent democracy.
The State Publicity Secretary of the Party, Mr Bode Ogunmola in a statement on Saturday, described the entire process as a scam.
He said the State Government should have opened up to the entire Kogite that they were not ready to conduct any council election rather than wasting the precious time of electorates who are willing to express their anger through the ballot on the maladministration of the present All Progressive Congress, (APC), in the last five years.
Ogunmola noted that the feelers he is getting across the state polling booths showed that there was no election conducted anywhere in the State. The Party spokesperson alleged that some thugs loyal to the ruling party, invaded the headquarter of the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission, (KOSIEC), on Friday night, to snatch ballot boxes into an unknown destination.
He said the ruling party would have tasted a sweeping defeat if they were willing to conduct a credible, free and fair election, as their five years in power has been greeted with poverty, unemployment, hunger and a shrinking economy.
His words, “There is no election anywhere in Kogi State. I am at 002 Open space voting unit in Ogori, This is 9.30 am and there is no sign of any voting anywhere. Reports reaching me from across the state is the same. This is a big disgrace to our state again under the APC led government”. Also, the state chairman of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Muktar Atimah has condemned the outcome of the election.
Speaking with newsmen on Sunday, Atimah pointed out that having received assurances from the SIEC Chairman of conducting a credible polls, the council election lacked the minimum standard, was an aberration to known democracy. The SDP called on the President to ensure that holistic reforms on the conduct of the election are carried out before he lives Office, “Else it will be safe to say democracy in the country has been murdered.
“We called on the members of our party to observe a month of mourning as a way of registering our displeasure to the conduct of the concluded Kogi State Council election.
The elected chairmen are expected to be sworn in on Monday at government house Lokoja. (Sunday Vanguard)
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