The 2024 Kwara State Peoples Democratic Party councillorship candidates, has condemned the blatant disregard for democratic principles and the outright theft perpetrated by the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission KWSIEC in collaboration with the All Progressive Congress on the 21st of September, 2024.
They said KWSIEC, led by Baba Okanla, and the APC, under the leadership of gov AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, have made a mockery of the electoral process, positing that their actions are a clear indication of their disregard for the will of the people and their determination to maintain power by any means necessary despite the blatant rejection of APC and its candidates at the polls.
This was made known on Thursday in a press conference held at ABS Constituency office, Olohunshogo, Ilorin Kwara State.
They urged the general public to join them in condemning this electoral “robbery” and demanding justice for the people of Kwara State.
They called all well-meaning Kwarans and Nigerians to support them in fighting for democracy and justice,
The PDP Chairmanship candidates also appreciated Kwarans who came out enmaase to vote for the party during the LG elections.
The KWSIEC’s fraudulent declaration of APC winners in all Chairmanship and Councillorship positions is a clear indication of result manipulation. Our agents reported discrepancies in the vote counts, which were ignored by the KWSIEC.
Specifically, we want to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all Kwarans who came out on September 21, 2024, to overwhelmingly vote for our great party, the PDP, during the last local government elections. Your decision to stand with us, despite the odds, is a testament to your unwavering commitment to democracy and good governance.
Although the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWSIEC) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) connived to steal your mandates by fraudulently declaring all APC candidates as winners, we remain proud of the overwhelming support you showed us at the polls. Your voices may have been temporarily silenced, but we assure you that your mandates will not be forgotten.
As we move forward, we urge you to remain vigilant, steadfast, and committed to the cause of reclaiming our state from those who have hijacked it and putting it on a reverse gear. We must prepare ourselves for the battles ahead, particularly as we approach the 2027 general elections.
Exposing Electoral Irregularities That Took Place
The Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission’s (KWSIEC) declaration of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as winners of all chairmanship and Councillorship positions is a travesty of justice, a slap in the face of democracy, and an insult to the collective intelligence of the people of Kwara State.
Our analysis reveals a plethora of electoral irregularities that compromised the integrity of the elections. These irregularities were not isolated incidents, but rather a deliberate and systematic attempt to subvert the will of the people.
The Following are some of the electoral irregularities that took place:
Insufficient Material and Electoral Officers
The first irregularity perpetrated was the deliberate insufficient presiding officers provided by the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWSIEC).We all witnessed what happened in Offa local where elections did not hold at all but the kwasiec went ahead In announcing their prepared result ,In Ifelodun, Irepodun, Ekiti, Isin, Oke Ero and Oyun local government were all also manipulated.
Every Kwarans witnessed what happened in Moro, Edu, Patigi, Baruten and Kaiama local government where materials were not supplied and results were later announced while same things also applicable to Ilorin South, Ilorin East Asa and Ilorin West local government.
In Warah/Osin/Egbejila Ward of Ilorin West LGA, for instance, where they have 39 polling units, only 26 presiding officers were allocated, leaving 13 units without presiding officers. This anomaly was resisted by PDP members at Egbejila Primary school, who insisted that the presiding officers and their assistants be reassigned to cover the 13 units without presiding officers.
Similar irregularities were reported in Adewole Ward, Ilorin West LGA, and many other wards across the state. The situation, as designed, was further compounded by the late opening of several polling stations, with many voters refusing to participate due to the lack of result sheets and appropriate voter registers. All these were done to discourage voters and thereby reducing oppositions’ votes to favor APC, the party that has already lost popularity in the state.
Further investigation revealed that the number of ballot papers provided at many polling units fell short of the number of registered voters on the lists. In Ilorin South Local Government Area, for example, 300 ballot papers were allocated to polling unit 013, despite having 510 registered voters. This discrepancy potentially disenfranchised over 200 voters. This fraudulent method was used across 464 polling units in Ilorin West LGA and other polling units across the state.
The APC’s desperation to cling to power is evident in their willingness to subvert the democratic process. They have shown that they are more interested in maintaining their grip on power than in serving the people.
They demanded that the Kwara State government takes immediate action to address Salary disparities and call for a comprehensive review of the salary structure to ensure that consequential adjustments are made to reflect the true value of workers’ labor.
At this juncture, it’s very important we make our position known on the alarmingly glaring ineffectiveness of the Kwara State Social Investment Programme (KWASSIP). Despite its creation to alleviate poverty, the program has failed to deliver, and the poverty rate in Kwara State continues to skyrocket.
The numbers are staggering. Since KWASSIP’s inception, poverty rates have increased tremendous, leaving many Kwarans in a state of desperation. The program’s inability to provide meaningful support to the most vulnerable members of our society, despite billions allocated to it yearly, is a clear indication of its ineffectiveness.
