Governor Abdufatah Ahmed of Kwara State Governor on Sunday reacted to last weekend’s by-election in the state. He said in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Communications, Dr Muyideen Akorede, that reports from the four local government areas in which elections were held indicated wide-spread harassment, arrests and intimidation of PDP members and supporters by security personnel.
He praised PDP members and supporters across the federal constituency for standing their ground and defying the threats posed by the security agents by coming out to exercise their franchise at the risk of harm and arrest.
He said the heightened fear and intimidation orchestrated against PDP members and supporters and abetted by security agents led to voter apathy and poor turnout in the areas that are traditional strong-holds of fhe party.
Kwara PDP Chairman Kola Shittu also described the election as a charade
Shittu said some of the concerns raised by the party prior to the conduct of the election, which included alleged importation of thugs and heavy deployment of security personnel later manifested during the poll.
He lamented that the poll was characterised by ballot box snatching, widespread irregularities and illegal arrest of members of the PDP before and during the election.
Shittu called for outright cancellation of the election because it fell short of the expectations of the people of the constituency.
He added that the brazen subversion of the will of the people, which the outcome of the election represented was an indication that the APC- led federal government was not ready to deliver free, fair and credible elections in 2019.
“The PDP condemns in strong terms the conduct of the by-election and also rejects its outcome, as it does not reflect the will of the people of Ekiti, Oke-Ero, Isin and Irepodun Local Government Areas.
“The announcement of the candidate of the APC, Raheem Olawuyi, as the winner of the election by the INEC is daylight robbery, subversion of the will of the people and direct assault on the nation’s democracy.
“Indeed, the election was a contest between the PDP and the security agents, as they both collaborated with the enemies of democracy, APC, to manipulate the electoral process and stole the mandate of the people.”
