The local government Council election in Kwara State was conducted peacefully on Saturday, but voters exhibited apathy due to the late arrival of poll officials and materials at polling stations. Most polling units in Ilorin, the state capital, and other parts of the state did not start until 9.30 am. Market women and traders in Ipata and Ganmo markets in the state capital began their business activities during the elections. A market woman named Mrs. Iyabo Alata chose to monitor her business rather than vote, while another trader, Mrs. Aishat Usman, said that her business is her pride and she doesn’t care about the election because nothing will come out of it.
Kwara state governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq commended the turnout of the electorate for the local government elections and urged security agencies to maintain the spirit. All Progressives Congress candidate for the Ilorin South local government area of the state, Majeed Podo, judged the process as peaceful and orderly. However, former Special Assistant of the governor, Comrade Musbau Esinrogunjo, claimed that electoral officers were not posted to many polling units and that the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission deliberately failed to provide election materials, such as result sheets, to many polling units.
The chairman of the Kwara State Independent Electorate Commission, Mohammed Baba-Okanla, attributed the delay in the commencement of the election to a breakdown in logistics. Baba-Okanla said that some circumstances can cause delays, but he found ways to amend the situation. In some places, there was no problem; it was just that the material arrived late, but as soon as they got there, the situation improved.
In conclusion, the local government council election in Kwara State was conducted peacefully, but some voters showed apathy towards voting. The governor commended security agencies for their conduct and urged them to maintain the spirit of democracy.
