The Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) Kogi State Chapter on Monday disclosed that the just concluded local government elections were free, fair, and credible.
The State Chairman of IPAC, Ilyas Badanga, made this known during a press conference held in Lokoja.
The press conference read as follows: “The Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) Kogi state chapter wishes to address this press conference to state categorically our position on the local government election held by the 19 political parties on the 19th of October, 2024.
“On the 18th October 2024, the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC) invited all registered political parties and other stakeholders for the distribution of sensitive and non-sensitive materials before they were shared with all the 21 local government areas in Kogi State.
“We followed all due processes of the election procedure by the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC.) We are amazed that some political parties that refused to follow the due process of this election by campaigning and sensitising the general public for votes extrapolate that there was no election in Kogi state; some allege that the Kogi state government house was used as polling units and collation centres. These allegations are mischievous without any iota of truth because our members who took part in the election were all in the 21 local government areas where results were collated and winners announced in all respective local government areas.
“IPAC want to make it categorically clear to all political parties to address internal crises before any election because we noticed that some political parties went into the election divided, and a house divided against itself can not stand.
IPAC therefore disassociates itself from the properly so-called youth leaders of political parties that fictitiously assembled themselves in government houses in order to defraud the government of Kogi State; those youth leaders are not known to IPAC.
“In view of the shenanigans postulated in the process of this election, the Ipac Kogi State Chapter is of the view that the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC) has performed beyond reasonable doubt and appeals to all the registered political parties to accept the results of the election as announced by the commission.
“Political parties under my watch should henceforth avoid litigation and ventilating grievances, agitations, and disagreements in our courts. Ipac internal mechanisms, under alternative dispute resolution, are capable of handling all party squabbles no matter whose ox is going.
He therefore appealed to the local government elected chairmen to be magnanimous in victory by forming an all-inclusive governance where all stakeholders are carried along regardless of our political lining or differences.
“IPAC appreciates His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Ododo, for creating an enabling environment for all political parties and security agencies that were on the ground for free violence and substantially acceptable local government elections in Kogi State,” he said.
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