The chairman of the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWSIEC), Mohammed Baba-Okanla, has declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner of the Local Government elections conducted on Saturday in the state.
The electoral process, which took place across the 16 Local Government Areas and 193 wards of the state, saw the participation of five political parties: APC, APM, PDP, SDP, and Accord.
Announcing the results in the wee hours of Sunday at the commission’s office, the KWSIEC boss said “After meticulous collation and verification, the APC has emerged victorious in all categories.
Specifically, the APC has won all 16 Local Government Area chairmanship positions. The party has also secured all 193 councilorship seats.
“We commend political parties for their commitment to a peaceful election, which did not record any major casualty and the people of Kwara State for trooping out en masse to exercise their civic rights.
“We also like to appreciate security agencies for ensuring peace and orderliness throughout the voting process in a professional manner.”
Daily Trust reports that the election was characterised with low turnout and delay in deployment of sensitive electoral materials.
The chairman of the commission attributed the delay to breakdown of vehicles contracted to distribute election materials during the exercise.
AbdulRazaq, APC congratulate winners
Meanwhile, Governor AbdulRahman Abdulrazaq and the party has congratulated the candidates of the APC for their “deserving victories at the Saturday’s election“.
The Governor commended KWSIEC and the security agencies for the peaceful and hugely successful exercise.
He said he is confident that insights and experiences from the exercise will help to improve future elections in the state and across the country.
“Especially that leadership of other states’ electoral commissions observed the exercise across the state.
“We again commends Kwarans for their large turnouts for the election, their support for the APC, and their decent conducts while it lasted”
He thanked all the political parties for their impressive participation and sportsmanship.
Election Conducted With “No Security Breaches – Police
The Kwara State Police Command, in collaboration with other security agencies on Sunday said the election was successful and peaceful across the state.
“Through a well-coordinated security operation with other sister agencies, law enforcement personnel were strategically deployed to polling units and key locations, maintaining order throughout the process.
“No significant security incidents were reported, and all concerns were addressed promptly, ensuring a smooth and uninterrupted voting experience”, Commissioner of Police, Victor Olaiya said in a statement.
He thanked all the security personnel deployed for the L.G election exercise for “exhibiting top professionalism and diligence.
“I also commend members of the public for their cooperation and reaffirms the command’s commitment to continuous safety and security of the state”,
…PDP supporters storm commission’s office, reject results
Supporters of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday stormed the office of the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWSIEC) to protest the results of the just concluded local government election in the state.
Daily Trust reports that KWSIEC chairman, Mohammed Baba-Okanla has announced the ruling APC as the winners of the election in all the 16 councils in the state.
But as early as 7:00 am, supporters of the opposition PDP barricaded KWSIEC headquarters in Fate with various placards to express their frustration over the exercise amid protest songs.
Military officers with Armoured Personnel Carriers (APC), police and operations of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) were sighted during the protest.
Speaking with pressmen, a top chieftain of the party and former chairman of local government service commission, Hajia Sarat Adebayo, described the action of the commission as a rape on democracy.
According to her, the people of Kwara have spoken about their rejection of the present administration but are surprised to find their will surmounted by the powers that be.
“In the election that was conducted on Saturday, PDP won the 16 chairmanship and 193 councillorship seats, but today, to our dismay, they announced the APC. The announcement does not reflect the wishes of the people.
“KWSIEC must announce the rightful winner because we have the real result and we won the election. What they did yesterday was to withhold the real result to declare a manipulated process”, she said.
Protest in Offa
Meanwhile, Daily Trust observed there was also a protest in Offa on Sunday as PDP members marched across major roads in the town displaying leaves.
At a press conference in Offa, the chairmanship candidate of the PDP, Hon Salaudeen Lukman, described the election as a daylight robbery by KWSIEC and demanded a rescheduling of the exercise.
He called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to protect democracy in Kwara.
“We categorically rejected the fraudulent declaration by the KWSIEC, which named the APC candidates as the winner in an election that never took place in Offa
“This blatant subversion of democracy is not only an insult to the will of the people but a dangerous assault on the sanctity of our electoral process.
“It is inconceivable that KWSIEC, in broad daylight, would attempt to declare a winner in an election that was marred by irregularities, with no votes cast, counted, or announced in Offa.
“Such brazen actions undermine the principles of democracy and the rule of law, which are the bedrock of our society.
“We call on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the leader of our great nation and a custodian of democracy, to take immediate action and hold Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq responsible for this egregious electoral misconduct.
“Should there be any breakdown of law and order in Offa as a result of this injustice, the Governor must be held accountable for the chaos that may ensue.
“The people of Offa deserve the opportunity to exercise their constitutional right to vote in a free, fair, and transparent election.
“We remain committed to peace and order, but we will not allow our democratic rights to be trampled upon by those who seek to manipulate the system for their own benefit. We urge all Offa residents to remain calm and law-abiding as we pursue all legal avenues to correct this injustice”, he said.
He added that “we stand for truth, justice, and the democratic aspirations of the people of Offa. We will not rest until the voice of the people is heard and respected”.
“PDP claim is contradictory”
Responding to the allegation, the SA Political to the Governor, Hon Femi Whyte, who addressed the press in the company of the APC candidate-elect, Alhaji Olanrewaju Suleiman, said the PDP’s position is contradictory.
“The PDP is claiming to have won the election and yet they said the election did not hold. I don’t think they are serious because the party has demonstrated that they were not prepared for the election ab initio which they tried to scuttle through the court because they were not prepared. This result replicated our past support for the APC.
“Elections, even at the national level, come with logistical issues. There was an election in Offa on Saturday and those that were interested voted. It is surprising to say there were no elections. There were some people moving around that they can’t continue with the election over the shortage of materials which KWSIEC promised to address. Why should that call for the cancellation of the election?
“This community belongs to APC and the council election should not be different from the traditional records that we have. PDP lacks the structure and the president has a link with Offa before through his mother and the people will not be stupid to vote in opposition”, he said.
On his part, the candidate-elect, Olanrewaju Suleiman, said the APC expected nothing less from the PDP than their propaganda after woefully losing the poll. He said the party already has a template for development which we implement immediately after swearing-in.
The details of the results are as follows:
Chairmanship
Ifelodun
Apc 22524
Pdp 2727
Apm 482
Oyun
Apc 12157
Pdp 356
Apm 387
Oke Ero
Apc 7472
Pdp 1168
Apm 224
Isin
Apc 8173
Pdp 1105
Apm 77
Edu
Apc 23963
Pdp 3851
Apm 424
Patigi
Apc 14,119
Pdp 2,937
Apm 806
Moro
Apc 14,555
Pdp 1670
Apm 117
Asa
Apc 15,024
Pdp 2638
Apm 41
Ilorin south
Apc 20207
Pdp 2072
Apm 226
Sdp 621
Baruten
Apc 38,549
Pdp 1335
Apm 665
Ilorin East
Apc 20883
Pdp 5383
Sdp 475
Apm 835
Kaiama
Apc 23029
Pdp 1737
Apm 59
Ekiti LGA
Apc 8707
Pdp 907
Apm 966
Offa
Apc 1919
Pdp 1586
Apm 636
Sdp 391
Ilorin west
Apc 50128
Pdp 4202
Apm 1882
Irepodun
Apc 14010
Pdp 2106
Apm 559
Sdp 239