The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chapters in Kaduna and Kogi states have rejected the results of local government elections that saw the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) win all the seats in both states.
In Kaduna, the State Independent Electoral Commission (KADSIECOM) announced that APC candidates claimed victory in all 23 local governments and 255 wards. Hajara Mohammed, KADSIECOM’s chairman, disclosed this on Saturday in Kaduna.
However, the PDP rejected the outcome, vowing to challenge it in court.
The PDP Chairman in Kaduna, Edward Masha, highlighted discrepancies, particularly missing result sheets, which he said compromised the election’s integrity.
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Masha said: “We were invited by SIECOM to collect sensitive materials from the Central Bank of Nigeria, but we found that the result sheets were missing. This omission undermined the credibility of the elections, and we cannot accept it.”
He further alleged that 2021 result sheets were used instead of updated ones, and claimed that the distribution of materials was uneven, contributing to a lack of transparency in the process.
Meanwhile, in Kogi, the State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC) declared APC victorious in all 21 local governments and 239 wards.
KOSIEC Chairman, Mamman Nda-Eric, announced the results in Lokoja, describing the election as “peaceful, free, fair, and credible.”
However, opposition parties and youth leaders disagreed, calling the election a “mockery of democracy.”
Comrade Mohammed Kabir Abdullahi, Chairman of the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) in Kogi, criticised KOSIEC’s handling of the poll, stating that “there was no local government election in the state.”
He accused the electoral commission of incompetence, adding, “This is the biggest mockery of the 21st century. We thought our democracy had advanced, but we are 10 steps backwards.”
Similarly, PDP Organising Secretary in Kogi, Abdukadir Ibrahim, alleged that electoral materials were diverted to unknown locations instead of the designated local governments.
On the other hand, Minister of Steel Development, Prince Shuaibu Abubakar Audu, praised KOSIEC for conducting a peaceful election with high voter turnout.
Similarly, Kogi State Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, also commended the commission and the people for maintaining peace during the process.
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