Kwara Govt, Saraki Trade Words Over LG Election Outcome
The Kwara State government has dismissed as “laughable and self-flattering” the recent comments made by former Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, regarding the outcome of the Local Government elections held last Saturday, September 21, 2024.
New Telegraph recalls that the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWASIEC) declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of all 16 Local Government Chairmanship seats and 193 councillor positions.
Saraki, dissatisfied with the results accused the state government and KWASIEC of manipulating the election outcome, alleging discrepancies between polling unit results and the official announcement.
Reacting to the outcome of the LG elections via his verified X handle, Saraki commended the people of Kwara for standing against what he described as “bad governance,” claiming the electoral process was marred by inadequate preparations, including shortages of ballot papers and the absence of result sheets in some areas.
In response, Kwara’s Commissioner for Communications, Bolanle Olukoju, criticized Saraki’s remarks, accusing him of mobilizing attempts to disrupt the election and failing to garner credibility with the voters.
The government dismissed Saraki’s claims, stating that the election reflected the popular will of the people and defended its record of governance while reminding Saraki of his administration’s poor track record in welfare and governance.