The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Kogi State chapter has raised serious concerns regarding the upcoming local government elections, accusing Governor Usman Ododo of transforming the government house into polling units and collation centers for the 21 local governments in the state.
In a statement signed by Alhaji Tijani Aruwa, the PDP noted that today, October 19, was supposed to mark the date for local government polls as announced by the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC). However, the party has observed a complete lack of electoral activity across the state.
The PDP urged the public to disregard the assurances made by KOSIEC Chairman Mamman Eri regarding the conduct of a transparent, free, and credible election, labeling these promises as insincere and misleading. The party warned that those who believe Usman Ododo will differ from his predecessor, Yahaya Bello, should prepare for a rude awakening.
The party states that there are no visible signs of election preparations in the state, as all INEC offices across the 21 local governments, designated as venues for the arrival of sensitive materials for the local government elections, remain locked. The PDP alleges that all election materials have been moved to the government house, where rigging operations have been ongoing for over a week. The party anticipates that the results of this “kangaroo arrangement” will be announced later today, with only a few ballot boxes displayed for media coverage to mislead the public.
Furthermore, the PDP called on the National Assembly to expedite actions on the ongoing local government reforms, emphasizing that this is the only way to ensure that citizens can elect their representatives at the local government level.
