In Kogi State, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has successfully won all local government areas in the recent elections. Mamman Nda-Eric, the Chairman of the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC), announced the results in Lokoja, labeling the elections as peaceful, fair, and credible.
Despite this official stance, opposition parties and youth leaders have criticized the election, claiming it undermines democracy. Comrade Mohammed Kabir Abdullahi, the Chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) in Kogi, condemned KOSIEC, asserting that there were no legitimate local government elections in the state. He described the situation as “the biggest mockery in the 21st century,” expressing disappointment that democracy appears to have regressed rather than progressed.
“Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission has once again displayed incompetence regarding the conduct of the council polls,” he stated.
Similarly, Hon. Abdukadir Ibrahim, the state organizing secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), alleged that electoral materials were misdirected to unknown locations instead of being distributed to local governments for the elections. “My colleagues and I went to the KOSIEC headquarters in Lokoja to collect electoral materials for our parties, but to our shock, they had all been sent elsewhere. It was a clear mockery of the election,” he remarked.
On the other hand, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, the Minister of Steel Development, praised KOSIEC for the “peaceful conduct of the elections and the impressive voter turnout across the state.” He urged the newly elected officials to perform their duties in a manner that positively impacts the community.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo of Kogi State also commended the electoral commission and the citizens for maintaining peace during the election, regardless of their political affiliations.
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