AS THE OCTOBER 19TH 2024 LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS IN KOGI STATE CONCLUDED AND WINNER DECLARED, WHERE ARE THE FACTS AND FIGURES???
Election is an ingredient of democracy with various variables, before, during and post elections activities, while we noticed the peaceful campaign by Political Parties and distributions of Materials on the 18th October, 2024, we however, worried the absence of electoral materials and officials, even the security personnels and political party agents in many Polling Unit visited particularly in Lokoja the State Capital. While we acknowledged voting toke place in many places despite late arrival of materials and personnels in some part of the various Local Government, it is a worrisome development, that all the Polling Unit visited, there were no displace of the list of registered voters in all polling units visited. The Law gives the power to INEC to conduct voter’s registration and release same to SIEC to conduct Local Government Elections.
We also noticed that there was no complain by SIEC of not having the list of registered voters, what was responsible non display of the List of registered voters at the polling units where prospective voters are expected to cast their votes. We also noticed there were no posters displaced at the various Polling Units as it the standard practice in Elections in Nigeria.
We are worried, despite the production and distributions of electoral materials by SIEC, deployment of personnel to various Polling Units as claimed by SIEC leadership, winners were declared without facts and figures at various Local Government and sent to the headquarters and was approved and released to the public through the Media around 11:00pm on the day elections was conducted. As it become a noun or practice, that SIEC will conduct elections without giving us figures what each declared winners and other contestants score at various Polling units, this act is condemnable, and we condemned it totality. How does the SIEC arrive at the winners that he announce to the Public? The governor that is product of an election conducted by national institution, which is INEC, could not conduct election and release facts and figures to its citizens who tasks and resources are been used to conduct election.
We call on the Kogi State Government, through the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) to release without further delay statistics, facts and figures of the elections conducted on the 19th October, 2024 in Kogi State.
We acknowledged the partnership and cooperation of SIEC with various Civil Society Organization (CSOs) before and during the elections. We observed the peaceful conduct of the electoral process, and call for its sustainability.
We call on SIEC to diligently review this election and its mandate on electoral process. Identify lesson learnt and make amendment where necessary.
We shall submit compressive report and make recommendation to SIEC as an accredited observer.
Signed
*IDRIS MILIKI ABDUL *
Executive Director,
Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR),
Lokoja, Kogi State.
Date: 21st October, 2024
