LG Poll: Amid Controversy, KWASIEC Declares APC Candidates as Winners

Hammed Shittu in Ilorin

Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWASIEC) yesterday declared the electoral victory of all the chairmanship and councillorship candidates of the All Progressives Congress(APC) as the sole winners of last Saturday local government councils election in the state.

Irrespective of the declaration of the election results, there was allegation of manipulations and irregularities that marred the poll  in all the 16 local government councils of the state.

Already, the people of Offa Local Government Council of the state has called for the suspension of the poll over the alleged non availability of electoral materials meant for the poll in the local government.

Also, the state Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Babatunde Mohammed, has described the election as the worst in history of the state in view of the alleged manipulations and irregularities exhibited by the electoral body in the state.

However, announcing the election results in Ilorin, the state Chairman of KWASIEC, Mr. Mohammed Baba-Okanla, stated that: “The electoral process, which unfolded across the state’s 16 local government areas and 193 wards, witnessed the participation of five political parties: APC, APM, PDP, SDP, and Accord.

“Our electoral officers and returning officers from the field have filed their results, and I’m pleased to share the outcomes with you.

“After meticulous collation and verification, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has emerged victorious in all categories. Specifically, the APC has won all 16 Local Government Area chairmanship positions. The party has also secured all 193 councilorship seats.

“We commend political parties for their commitment to a peaceful election, which did not record any major casualty and the people of Kwara State for trooping out en masse to exercise their civic rights.

“We also like to appreciate security agencies for ensuring peace and orderliness throughout the voting process in a professional manner.”