PDP members protest result of Kwara LG poll

A man was reportedly beaten in Ilorin, the Kwara state capital, on Sunday during a protest against the results of Saturday’s local government elections by members of the state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party.

The man, identified as Ibrahim Suberu, who said that he is a civil servant in the state, was beaten mercilessly near the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission office, Fate Road, Ilorin, by the irate crowd who pulled him down from his motorcycle.

The PDP members, as early as 8 am on Sunday, started the protest against the results of the local government elections released in the early hours of Sunday by KWASIEC.

The KWASIEC Chairman, Mohammed Baba-Okanla, in a statement made available to the press on Sunday morning, said that APC won the chairmanship and councillorship elections in the 16 local government areas and 193 wards of the state, respectively.

During the protest, burnfire was made at strategic locations on Fate Road before they matched on to Zango/ Maraba Road to the General Post Office and Challenge areas of Ilorin Metropolis wielding placards with different inscriptions condemning the election results declared by KWASIEC.

Speaking with our correspondent, the victim said that he was coming out of a shopping mall, where he went to buy something for his children on his motorcycle when he ran into the mob.

“I was mercilessly beaten, and they were looking for used tyres and wanted to burn me, but I managed to run and escaped to the KWASIEC office, where the security men protected me.

“The mob attempted to chase me and forced themselves into the KWASIEC headquarters, but the security operatives locked the gate against them and prevented them from entering the premises,” Suberu further narrated.

Also, at a press conference addressed by the Offa Local Government PDP chairmanship and councillorship candidates, they kicked against the result, contending that the election did not take place in the ancient town.

Addressing reporters, the PDP chairmanship candidate, Salahudeen Lukman, said, “PDP candidates rejected the declaration of APC candidates as the winners of the election in an election that did not take place.

“It is inconceivable that KWSIEC, in broad daylight, would attempt to declare a winner in an election that was marred by irregularities, with no votes cast, counted or announced in Offa. Such brazen action undermines the principles of democracy and the rule of law, which are the bedrock of our society.

“Should there be any breakdown of law and order in Offa as a result of this injustice, Governor AbdulRaman AbdulRazaq must be held accountable. Adding to maintaining peace and ensuring the credibility of our democratic process, we demand the immediate rescheduling of the Offa local government election.”

However, the local government’s APC said the election actually took place.

The Special Adviser to Governor AbdulRazaq on Political Matters, an indigene of the town, Femi Agbaje-Whyte, said the election was conducted in the town, adding that those who were interested exercise their franchise right.

“Traditionally, Offa is an APC town. The party won all the elected seats in the 2019 and 2023 elections respectively. Therefore, the people will not be so docile and will vote for another party.

“Ab initio, the PDP did not want the election to hold; that was why it went to court seeking to stop the election,” Agbaje-Whyte added.

Corroborating him, the chairman-elect of Offa Local Government, Sulaiman Olatunji, said that the PDP was not prepared for the election.

He added that “the election was free, fair and transparent. PDP is lying, and it is trying to cover its lies.”

Earlier, the PDP members, during their protest in Ilorin, described the election results as fraud and condemned KWASIEC for being partial in the local government election processes.

Some of the placards read, ‘Kwara people say no to the continuation of bad governance led by APC, ‘LG Election results declared by KWASIEC is fake,’ ‘Govt, KWASIEC changed the results of the election in favour of APC,’ and ‘KWASIEC robbed PDP in Kwara LG Elections.”

Speaking with newsmen, a former state commissioner who led the protest, Saratu Adebayo, accused KWASIEC of forging the results of the Saturday local government elections.

Adebayo said, “PDP won the chairmanship election in the 16 local government areas of the state but was falsely awarded to APC by KWASIEC.

“KWASIEC, in collaboration with the state government and APC, changed and stole the votes of the people of Kwara State.

“Though the PDP is not happy with the process of the election, we are peace-loving people, KWASIEC should do the needful.”