Kwara LG polls: As PDP upsets APC’ s tactic

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidates, who called on relevant authorities to address the raised allegations on the concluded council elections in Kwara State said that the development was capable of discouraging meaningful representations at the grassroots. Biola Azeez reports on the tactics and reactions of the two major opposition parties as regards its results.

The local government election in Kwara State has come and gone leaving in its trail glee of celebration, condemnation of the conduct and result of the election, as well as arrest and ongoing prosecution of a total of 54 suspected electoral offenders.

Though the leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is yet to comment on the conduct of the poll, nor congratulate any of the winners in the election won by its candidates in all the 16 local government areas of the state, the main opposition party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described the election as a fraud.

Conducted by the state independent electoral commission KWASIEC, the result of the election declared by the chairman of the commission, Alhaji Uthman Ajidagba, had some upsets, as the ruling APC lost in some polling booths in the Ilorin metropolis, which many people in the state thought it is unthinkable in the history of election in the area.

The opposition party, which said that it won in some other parts of the state, added that there were alleged cases of stuffing of ballot boxes, use of hoodlums to intimidate voters and destruction of ballot papers, among other electoral malpractices..

The development, which was corroborated by the state police command, had it that 54 suspects were allegedly involved in different forms of electoral malpractices during and after local government elections in the state.

Speaking during parade of the suspects, who include the assistant publicity secretary of the PDP and a collation officer, the commissioner of police, Lawan Ado, said that their offence include destruction and burning of ballot papers.

The police boss also said that some of the suspects were arrested by security operatives attached to Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWASIEC) office for disorderly conduct within the vicinity of the KWASIEC during collation of final election result.

“They were arrested singing war songs, trying to intrude into the KWASIEC office and going from street to street to cause breach of peace”, he said.

He said that others were arrested around Taiwo Road, Adeta area and Laolu Unit in the Ilorin metropolis, adding that some other suspects were arrested at Alapa and Morakinde compound in Oyun Local Government for electoral offences which he said included snatching and destruction of election materials.

The police commissioner, who said that all the suspects would soon be charged to court, assured that the command would continue to provide security, peace and stability for the general public.

This is just as the chairman of the opposition party, Akogun Iyiola Oyedepo and chairmanship candidates of the party in Asa and Ilorin West local government areas, Alhaji Muslim Abiola and Alhaji Musbau Esinrogunjo, respectively, criticised the conduct and rejected the outcome of the elections.

Speaking in separate interviews with the Nigerian Tribune in Ilorin, the chairmanship candidates called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct future local government elections in the country.

The PDP candidates, who said that the election was characterised by electoral malpractices and irregularities at such areas as Aboto, Ogbondoroko, Sosoki/Yowere among other areas, however, called on their supporters to remain calm and resolute by obeying rules of law.

“What happened in Kwara State was a far cry from what election should be. What we witnessed did not meet international standard of electioneering, nor was the set constitution obeyed. There were reported incidents of delay and diversion of electoral materials, attacks on electoral officers and voters intimidation, yet the electoral commission went ahead to announce result”, he said.

The PDP candidates, who called on relevant authorities to address the allegations, said that the development was capable of discouraging meaningful representations at the grassroots.

On the other hand, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Honourable Ali Ahmad, described the victory recorded by the ruling APC as well deserving, and assured that the APC led government would continue to be responsive to the yearnings of the people for socio- economic transformation of the state.

The Speaker also commended people of the state  for demonstrating high sense of maturity, decorum and peaceful conduct in the local government  election.

Hon. Ahmad said that the people maintained high sense of decorum, alleged that the opposition had determined to prevent the election from holding, by causing mayhem, before and during election.

He said the state could only attain the desired political transformation and accelerated socio-economic development, when the people of the state place collective and communal interest above parochial considerations.

The Speaker was however alarmed, over the unprecedented incidences of snatching of ballot boxes, burning of electoral materials and confrontation of electoral officers.

“In the rich history of electioneering process in Kwara State, we have never experienced a single incidence of snatching of ballot boxes, therefore, we should all join hands to ensure that it never happen again in the state”, he said.

The Speaker then enjoined the State Police Command and other security agencies, to investigate the incidences and prosecute arrested  suspected cultists and thugs that were allegedly brought to the state at the wake of election to cause mayhem and prevent election from holding.

However, feelers among the leadership of the ruling party said that the political leader in the state, Dr Bukola Saraki, was not happy with the outcome of the election, especially as some wards were lost to the opposition according to the election result announced by the KWASIEC.

Examples of such polling booths where the ruling APC lost include Oloje, Ogidi wards in the Ilorin West Local Government and parts of Ilorin East Local Government area of the metropolis, as the political leader was said to have expressed his anger to the leadership of the party on the loss.

Meanwhile, political watchers in the state have said that the upset should not be ascribed to the proficiency or efforts made by the opposition party, saying that the loss was due to alleged indifference of some political office holders in the ruling party to socio-economic wellbeing of their constituents.

Reports had it that the PDP members and leaders were busy with the party congress that brought in the new executive members of the party, as it was said that some political office holders in the ruling party were busy displaying affluence and were indifferent to their followers plight, buying expensive property.

It was also gathered that some of these political office holders engaged in last minute consultation with community leaders in their various areas in order to woo angry voters to ensure that the people support the ruling party for the election.

“Its not due to efforts of the opposition at all. The ruling party was already divided during build up to the council election. The Governor did not even go on campaign with the candidates of his party for the election. It was the Speaker that went with them to campaign grounds”, a resident of Offa in Offa local government area, Mr. Olabisi Ajibade, said.

“It’s the internal wrangling and division within the ruling party that actually gave away popularity of the APC. Its indifference of political office holders to plight of the people that caused their upset in some parts of Ilorin metropolis and few other places”, Alhaji Kunle Suraju in Sabo Oke area of Ilorin metropolis also said.

The people, who, however, called on the leadership of the opposition party in the state to wake up from slumber and work towards consolidating on the upset for future political success, said that the move would help ginger support of their supporters for 2019 elections.

Contributing to the issue, the state secretary of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), Mr. Michael Ologunde, called for collaborative efforts of opposition parties in the state towards having a common front to enter future elections in the state.

Ologunde, who said it could be herculean task on the main opposition party, PDP, to go it all alone, added that there was need to put both human and technical  resources together in such regard.

However, the Congress of Nigeria’s Political Parties (CNPP) in Kwara said that the last local government elections in the state was peaceful, free and fair.

This is just as it called on the newly elected council chairmen in the state to extend hands of fellowship to those who lost out in the poll.

The CNPP also charged the chairmen and councillors – elect to make the payment of backlog of salary arrears owed most of the council workers in the state their priority.

It made the call in a statement jointly issued by its chairman, Alhaji Adebayo  Lawal and secretary, Prince Olufemi  Adeleke.

The congress which congratulated the chairmen and councillors –  elect, expressed satisfaction with the successful conduct of the polls and called on those who lost out to take heart.

‘‘Reports from the field in the various polling units ,wards and local governments confirmed the fact that electioneering went smoothly with hitches in few places .

“Though, some isolated skirmishes were reported from two or three spots before and during the election ,the conduct was generally peaceful and in total compliance with the provisions of the electoral act .

“While we call on the losers to take heart as there is always another day to throw another challenge ,we call on the winners to exhibit the spirit of inclusiveness and accommodate some members of the opposing parties in their administration .

“Now that we have truly elected men in our various local governments, we congratulate them and urged them to look seriously into the backlog of salaries and entitlements being owed workers and retirees.