The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kogi State has expressed significant concerns over the conduct of the local government elections, initially scheduled for today. The party accuses Governor Usman Ododo of repurposing the government house as polling units and collation centers for the state’s 21 local governments.
According to a statement released by Alhaji Tijani Aruwa, the PDP is alarmed by the absence of electoral activities statewide, despite today being marked as the official date for local government elections by the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC).
The PDP is urging the public to disregard the assurances of a transparent, free, and credible election given by KOSIEC Chairman Mamman Eri, describing these promises as deceptive. The party warns that expectations for Governor Ododo to act differently from his predecessor, Yahaya Bello, may lead to disappointment.
The statement points out that there are no visible preparations for elections in the state. INEC offices across the 21 local governments, which were to serve as hubs for receiving sensitive election materials, remain closed. The PDP alleges that election materials have been relocated to the government house, where they claim election rigging activities have been underway for over a week. They anticipate that results from this “kangaroo arrangement” will be announced later today, with only a few ballot boxes presented to the media to mislead the public.
The PDP is calling on the National Assembly to hasten the ongoing local government reforms. The party emphasizes that these reforms are crucial to ensuring citizens can genuinely elect their local government representatives.