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The Peoples Democratic Party, the main opposition party in Kwara State, has expressed dismay following the Saturday's local government elections in the state.
The Chairman of the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission, Alhaji Mohammed Baba-Okanla, on Sunday in a statement announced that the APC won the chairmanship and councillorship elections across the 16 local government councils and 193 wards of the state.
Following the announcement, PDP members staged a protest at the KWASIEC office in the Fate area of Ilorin.
The APC in turn lauded the people's support during the local government elections.
PDP members, carrying placards with various inscriptions, condemned KWASIEC for being partial in the election.
Some of the placards read: “Kwara people say no to continuation of bad governance led by APC,” “LG election results declared by KWASIEC are fake,” “Govt, KWASIEC changed the results of the election in favour of APC,” and “KWASIEC robbed PDP in Kwara LG elections,” among others.
A former commissioner who led the PDP protest, Hajia Saratu Adebayo, indicted KWASIEC of falsifying the results of Saturday’s LG polls.
According to Adebayo, “The PDP won the chairmanship elections in the 16 local government areas of the state, but the seats were falsely awarded to APC by KWASIEC.
“KWASIEC, in collaboration with the state government and the APC, changed and stole the votes of the people of Kwara State.
“The PDP is not happy with the election process, but we are peace-loving people. KWASIEC should do the needful.”
The APC in a statement signed by its chairman, Prince Sunday Fagbemi, extolled the people for the massive turn out to vote and the overwhelming support of the party's candidates.
APC said, “Official results from polling units across the 16 local government areas show an impressive performance by the party in the chairmanship and councillorship elections.
“We thank the people of Kwara State for their show of support and the confidence reposed in our party. We commend them for coming out to vote for APC despite the intimidation by opposition elements.
“We commend the electoral body, KWASIEC, for its good performance, the impartiality of its officials, and its prompt and professional responses to the late arrival of materials and procedural hitches in a few areas. Additionally, we commend the people of Kwara State for their peaceful conduct throughout.
“We condemn the futile attempts by the opposition PDP to disrupt elections in some areas, especially in Offa, where miscreants made unsuccessful efforts to undermine the process.
"A popular party has no reason to disrupt the election process, but that was what the PDP tried to do after its initial plan to stop the election through the courts failed miserably. We thank the electorate for resisting their antics and voting for our party.”
