Kwara holds LG polls with only five political parties participating

The electoral commission says it has made arrangements for a hitch-free exercise.

Voters in Kwara State will elect new chairpersons and councillors for the 16 local governments in the state on Saturday, with only five of Nigeria’s 19 political parties fielding candidates for the elections

The Chairman of the state Independent Electoral Commission (KWASIEC), Mohammed Baba-Okanla, disclosed this on Wednesday at a media chat organised by the state’s council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NU J) in Ilorin, the state capital.

The five political parties running in the elections are the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Peoples Movement (APM), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Accord Party (AP).

Mr Baba-Okanla said the electoral commission had made arrangements for a hitch-free exercise.

According to him, the commission crafted a comprehensive timetable for the elections to ensure that all stakeholders are adequately prepared for the electoral process.

He said the polling units will open at 8 a.m. and voting will conclude at 3 p.m. The KWASIEC chairman said the results will be collated at the designated collation centres and announced after counting is concluded.

“We have worked diligently to ensure that every aspect of the electoral process is well planned and organised. From the training of electoral staff to the distribution of elections materials, every measure is being put in place to ensure that the elections are conducted smoothly, transparently, and in accordance with the law.”

Mr Baba-Okanla said his commission was collaborating with the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) to ensure the success of the council polls.

“The issue of the voter register is one that we have taken very seriously. A credible voter register is the foundation of any free and fair election, as it ensures that only eligible citizens participate in the electoral process,” he said.

Mr Baba-Okanla said the commission organised a training programme for its staff and the ad hoc staff that would supervise the elections across the state’s 193 wards.

He said it also consulted with the security agencies to ensure maximum security of lives and property during the poll.

Mr Baba-Okanla said over 21,000 people applied for ad hoc jobs for the elections, of which about 7,000 were eventually considered.

The commission said the election will be held in 2,887 polling units.

Earlier, AbdulLateef Ahmed, the chairman of the state Council of the NUJ, expressed delight that the state has decided to establish democratically elected governments at the local government levels.

The NUJ chairman, represented by the vice chairman, Binta Mora, urged the electoral body to conduct free, fair, and credible elections.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has deployed over 3,000 officers across the state ahead of the council election.

The state commandant of the NSCDC, Umar Mohammed, said the officers will man various polling units and synchronise efforts with sister security agencies to ensure the peaceful conduct of the election.

“Our primary responsibility is to create an environment where the local government election can be conducted peacefully, free from violence, intimidation, ballot snatching, and any other disruptive actions,” he stated.

He said officers from the Anti-Vandal Unit and the Critical National Assets and Infrastructure Department will also be deployed during the election.

Mr Umar appealed to the political parties and citizens to avoid any action that could undermine the peaceful conduct of the election.