Hammed Shittu writes about the recent local government poll conducted six years after the last one was held in Kwara state and the controversy that trailed the outcome of the exercise.
Local Government administration remains the closest government to people of the grassroots. It is the only system of government that really serves as a way for people of the rural communities to govern themselves so as to ensure the dividends of democracy get to their doorsteps.
However, the immediate past administration of former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara State conducted the local government councils polls in 2018 so as to return governance to the people of the grassroots in order to accelerate the socio-economic development of the local government councils.
But, the present administration upon assumption of office in 2019 dissolved the elected councillors and chairmen in all the 16 local government councils.
The dissolved elected representatives at the local government councils were later replaced with the Transitional Implementation Committee for the local government councils in the state.
These TIC members were in office for almost five or six years in the local government despite the criticisms that greeted the appointment of these TIC in the affected local government councils in the state.
The issue has led to one of the anti corruption groups in the state called Elites Network for Sustainable Development(ENTSUD) to file a court action against the government which they won in both the High Court and the Federal Court of Appeal.
Though the state government filed an Appeal at the Supreme Court but up till now the state government has failed to pursue it until recently when the Supreme Court granted financial autonomy to all the 744 local government councils across the country.
The main case against the state government then was its refusal to conduct elections into the 16 local government councils in the state.
The anti-corruption crusade argued that the non conduct of the councils polls in the state has hindered the development of the grassroots and also affected the socio- economic well being of the rural dwellers across the 16 LGAs in the state.
Following the Supreme Court ruling that granted full autonomy of the councils in the country, the state government took pragramatic move to set machineries in motion to conduct local government councils.
Despite several calls by stakeholders in the state for the state government to see reason why local government councils deserves their own system of government through the election of elected representatives at the councils level after almost six years, the present administration in Kwara state decided to appoint political functionaries to man the affairs at the local government councils in the state.
In a twinkle of an eye, the government announced the composition of the electoral body for the council poll headed by Mr. Mohammed Baba- Okanla.
Okanla in his maiden press briefing for the conduct of local government councils poll in the state announced September 21, 2024 for the election.
Eventually, on Saturday, September 21, 2024, the local government poll was held in the state but with low turn out of voters.
It should, however, be noted that only five political parties participated in the election.
They are All Progressives Congress (APC) Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Peoples Movement (APM) Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Accord Party (AP).
During the poll, late arrival of election materials was witnessed in some polling units in the state.
Apart from this, some areas did not have access to the election materials, a situation which sparked crisis in the state especially in Offa town where the stakeholders in the poll claimed not seeing election materials and demanded for fresh poll in the town.
However, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq and the state deputy governor, Kayode Alabi, cast their votes at their Idigba polling unit 004, Ilorin West Local Government Area, and ECWA Primary School, Oro-Ago polling unit 001, Ifelodun Local Government Area respectfully.
Speaking on the conduct of the poll, Governor AbdulRazaq commended the turn out of electorate for the local government poll saying that democracy has come to stay.
His words: "From what we can see here, the turn out is very okay. Democracy has come to stay".
The governor, who spoke after casting his vote at Idigba polling unit 004 of Adewole Ward of the Ilorin West local government area at about 10:55 am, described conduct of the election as peaceful. He further commended the security agencies for their conduct and urged them to maintain the spirit.
Also speaking while monitoring conduct of the election in parts of the Ilorin metropolis, Chairman of the Kwara state Independent Electorate Commission (KWASIEC), Mohammed Baba-Okanla, ascribed reported delay in commencement of the election to breakdown in logistics.
According to him: "Some circumstances can cause delay. Some of the vehicles conveying election materials to polling units broke down and we've found ways to amend the situation. You can see in this area now, normalcy has returned.
"In some of the places we've visited, there was no problem it's just that there was late arrival of material. But as soon as we got there, situations were improved upon".
However, KWASIEC Chairman, Baba-Okanla, around 3.00. a.m on Sunday, September 22, 2024, without the presence of the stakeholders in the election had declared results of the election, affirming victory for all the chairmanship and councilorship candidates of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Following declaration of the results by KWASIEC, it was mixed reactions as members of the ruling APC, particularly, friends and well wishers of the candidates who participated in the election, embarked on celebration, while protest rejecting the results was witnessed in Ilorin and Offa towns on Sunday by members of the opposition PDP.
Speaking with newsmen in Offa, the chairmanship candidate of the Peoples Democractic Party (PDP) in the Offa local government area, Hon. Salahudeen Lukman, accused the Kwara state Independent Electoral Commission of poor performance in the election, saying the election should be rescheduled in Offa.
Lukman, who spoke on behalf of 12 wards councilorship candidates of the PDP, said that the election was characterized "by irregularities, with no votes cast, counted, or announced in Offa".
The PDP candidates called on President Bola Tinubu to take immediate action and hold Governor Abdulrazaq responsible for alleged electoral misconduct in the poll.
"To maintain peace and ensure the credibiity of our democratic process, we demand the immediate rescheduling of the Offa Local Government election", the aggrieved candidates said.
Also, some irate youths in Ilorin East and Ilorin South local government councils of the state kicked against the poll.
The youths who gathered at the Pake area of Ilorin which serves as the Collation center of the poll publicly set ablaze some thumb- printed ballot papers already voted for ruling APC in the two affected local government councils.
In apparent reaction to the complaints raised by the opposition, Chairman of KWASIEC, Baba-Okanla, said the election did not record any major casualty, while he thanked the people for trooping out en masse to exercise their civic rights.
The KWASIEC boss said 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.
He later shared the results as filed by the electoral officers and returning officers from the fields.
"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.
Also, Governor Abdulrazaq has congratulated all the newly elected 16 local government chairpersons and 193 councillors on their deserving victories at the council election.
The governor also congratulated all the leaders and members of the APC on the successful outing at the pollls, which he linked to the strides of the government, the support of every party member and stakeholders, and sustained relationships that the party has built with the people of the state.
He commended the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission and the security agencies for the peaceful and hugely successful exercise.
The Governor, however, said he is confident that insights and experiences from the exercise will help to improve future elections in the state and across the country, especially that leadership of other states' electoral commissions observed the exercise across the state.
However, the Peoples Democratic Party in Kwara State rejected the outcome of the Local Government election in Kwara, describing it as a desecration of democracy, a waste of taxpayers' money and an elevation of fraud to heights never witnessed before in the state.
The PDP accused the ruling All Progressive Congress under Governor Abdulrazaq, of connivance with the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission to manipulate the local government election and subvert the people's will.
The statement read, in part, "The crude manner in which the ruling APC government, in connivance with a highly compromised Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission usurped the people's mandate to elect their local leaders has left Kwarans frustrated and aggrieved.
"KWSIEC's actions on election day not only fell short of the minimum global standards expected of an election umpire but also openly facilitated and participated in the desecration of democracy that occurred across Kwara State.
"Elections did not take place in about 85% of polling units and wards across the 16 local government areas of the state. The people rejected an orchestrated plot to use the few ballot papers released to some polling units as a basis for authenticating a premeditated outcome."
The PDP said contrary to the declaration by KWSIEC that the APC won, the PDP won in the few areas where the election was held, but it was cancelled, and officials were forced to announce the APC candidates as the winners.
"Where elections were held, the people massively voted for PDP candidates, and in several instances, they were declared winners before KWSIEC officials reversed these victories in a shocking display of impunity.
"In Kwara Central and parts of Kwara North, particularly in Patigi Local Government, PDP candidates won resoundingly. KWSIEC officials validly sorted, counted, and declared our candidates victorious, with some of these moments captured and shared on social media.
"However, these victories were magically overturned. The results, which were declared in favour of PDP candidates in places like Ilorin West, Ilorin South, Ilorin East, and Asa LG, were manipulated, with cooked-up figures announced to favour APC candidates.
"The case in Patigi Local Government was particularly shameful. The Electoral Officer (EO) was kidnapped by the APC thugs, forced into a room, and made to declare PDP's results invalid under duress. This video, which has been circulated widely, shows an EO speaking against his will. Despite this, the same invalid results were later announced in favour of APC, even though no new election took place,' he said.
But, the Chairman of the Kwara state Independent Electoral Commission, Baba-Okanla, in a chat with journalists said the election was free and fair, describing it as triumph of democracy.
Baba-Okanla also advised all aggrieved politicians to approach courts to ventilate their grievances.
Meanwhile, former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki has commended the people of Kwara State for the courage they demonstrated, against all odds, in sending a clear signal of rejection to the All Progressives Congress administration led by Mr. Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq during the last Saturday's local government election.
In a statement signed by his Press Officer on Political Matters, Abdulganiyu Abdulqadir, Saraki noted that even though the Kwara State Government in collaboration with its State Electoral Commission announced different results from what obtained at the numerous polling units across the 16 local government areas of the state, the people rose above partisan consideration to take a stand against bad governance.
"In a manner that went beyond partisan consideration and gave expression to the protection of community interests, people from Kwara mobilised themselves to the polling units and met the absence of electoral officials and shoddy preparations by the electoral body. Yet the people stood firm against the deliberately concocted frustrations.
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In some areas, the votes were heavily stacked against APC candidates.
"In other areas, the voters stood against a system in which less than 10 percent of the ballot papers were supplied to polling units for the huge number of accredited voters with no result sheets supplied, among other inadequacies.
"Whatever results the electoral body eventually declared, our people have sent a clear signal to a government that has not made any significant, positive impact on their lives after 64 months in office. It is a shame that the 16 local government areas now have chairmen and councilors who would be in office without legitimacy and people's mandate.
"Kwarans have demonstrated that democracy is about the people and any government that refused to serve the purpose for which it was elected will be voted out. The people of Kwara State deserve to be praised for demonstrating how politically savvy, sophisticated, and discerning they are. A government that continuously takes the people for granted will get its deserved result at the polls.
"I join numerous Kwarans to thank and commend the various political parties, community development associations, youth groups, religious bodies, and others who form the core of the democratic action that we witnessed on Saturday. May God bless you all.
"Let me also acknowledge that our party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) fielded candidates for chairmanship and councilorship seats who are very popular in their respective communities and acceptable to the people. This made it easier for the people to rally round them. I congratulate these candidates for making themselves available for people to use in expressing their preference.
"The good people of Kwara State spoke loud and clear last Saturday. Those who can listen heard them too. Once again, the people deserve our commendation and a big pat on the back. They demonstrated character, courage, clarity of vision, and conviction. It is yet a new dawn in Kwara State", Saraki stated.
The new local government chairmen and their councillors had since been sworn in by Governor Abdulrazaq, who charged them not to indulge themselves while people struggle.
Speaking shortly after the oath administration at the Government House, Ilorin, the Governor congratulated the new council chiefs, their families, party leaders, community stakeholders, and everyone who played different roles in their emergence.
He said: "Set realistic goals for yourself. Be conscious of your legacies. Be fair to everyone and to yourself. Attend to the needs of the people, and be open to positive engagements across board.
"Our country is in a transitive phase as our economy undergoes reforms. This has brought some inconveniences for the people. Please be sensitive to the realities of the time. Don't indulge yourselves while the people struggle to meet basic needs.
"As local government areas and first layer of government, be creative, explore areas of cooperation, and complement yourselves for bigger accomplishments. Importantly, please prove to the people that you truly deserve to occupy this esteemed office".
By and large, the last local government council poll has come and gone but controversies continue to trail the exercise in the state in view of the way and manner KWASIEC conducted and announced the results of the election in the absence of stakeholders that participated in the election in the state.
