Members
of the All Progressives Party in Ilorin and Offa Local Government Area
of Kwara State on Monday protested against the announcement on radio of
the result of the rerun election held in Offa LG on Saturday, in which
the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Segun Olanipekun, was
declared the winner.
According to the radio announcement and
a statement from the Deputy Director, Kwara State Independent Electoral
Commission, Mr. Dauda Nurudeen, the PDP’s Olanipekun polled 35,937
votes against 20,161 reported votes scored by the APC candidate, Mr.
Saheed Popoola.
But the APC protesters insisted that
from the signed result sheet obtained at the collation centre, APC
defeated the PDP in 11 of the 12 wards.
They stated that PDP won only in Igboodun Ward, adding that the APC scored 11,526 as against PDP’s 4,668.
The Labour Party in the state had
earlier stated that it viewed the rerun election as a litmus test for
the KWASIEC for the local council polls in the state in October.
The APC protesters matched from one of
their offices at Offa Road Ilorin to Flower Gardens and to the KWASIEC
head office at Fate/Sola Saraki Road.
A chief of the APC, Mr. Sola Iji, who
was among the protesters, said, “We met with the Chairman of KWASIEC,
Dr. Uthman Ajidagba, who feigned ignorance. He said he didn’t know where
the electoral officer was and some of his junior officers. We met with
the chairman and about three or four other officers of the commission on
Saturday and they promised that the result would be announced. “They
said we should return Sunday morning by 10am, but surprisingly by around
5am, we started hearing from Kwara Radio, the same KWA SIEC chairman,
announcing the false results.”
Nobody from KWASIEC addressed the
protesters, as the gate of the commission was padlocked. Also,
stern-looking riot police officers and a police Armoured Personnel
Carrier were stationed at the KWASIEC office.
Also at Offa, our correspondent learnt
that numerous APC members matched around some of the streets, denouncing
Olanipekun as the winners of the rerun election.
They were also said to have demanded the declaration of Popoola as the rightful winner of the election.
Meanwhile, speaking on the outcome of
the rerun election, the state Governor, AbdulFatah Ahmed,
congratulated Olanipekun on Monday.
In a statement by his Chief Press
Secretary, Alhaji Abdulwahab Oba, the governor admonished the opposition
members to use appropriate channels to seek redress.
“Rather than take laws into their
hands, any legitimate grievance should be channelled through established
procedure for redress,” Ahmed said.
Also, the National Association of Kwara State Students protested in Ilorin on Monday.
The students matched from Maraba
Junction, through Murtala Muhammed Road to the Post Office Round About
and to the Government House.
The students said they were protesting against the alleged non-payment of the balance of their bursaries.
The students had, in a letter dated
August 28, appealed to the state governor, to ensure the payment of the
alleged balance of their bursaries, warning that they will embark on
peaceful protest on Monday if the money was not paid.
This is what we are saying. When we say the truth people like DONEL CHIME get provoked.
ReplyDeleteI don't care who wins election but there must be limpidity. Look at the people in the street protesting because the will of people had been stolen. People’s mandates are not represented. Even a single ward can't be worn by any of the the opposition parties.
Labour Party describes the outcome of the election as "litmus test" boobs like DONEL CHIME can find out what it means since their reasoning faculty is negatively touched. The outcome of the election is unspeakable.
These our leaders are not helping issues; PDP is one of the major problems of this country; yes it has to be so because the ruling party appoints INEC chairman; pays their salaries and other allowances, approves their budget etc. therefore, they must to dictate what are expected of them.
We have got enough to do in order to arrest the situation in this our lovely country. We are not expected to allow the next generation to inherit these from us because they might not forgive us.
God help Nigerain