The Inter party Advisory Council (IPAC) has commended Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC) for conducting a transparent, free and fair local government election in the State.
Addressing a press conference in Lokoja on Monday, the Kogi State Chairman of IPAC, Ilyas Badanga berated some groups who believed that the council election was marred with electoral malpractices.
“We are amazed that some political parties that refused to follow the due process of this election by campaigning and sensitising the general public for votes extrapolates that there was no election in Kogi state.
“Some alleged that Kogi state government house was used as polling units and collation centers, these allegations are mischievous without any iota of truth because our members took part in the election were all in the 21 local government areas where results were collated and winners announced in all respective local governments areas.
“IPAC want to make it categorically clear to all political parties to address internal crises before any election because we noticed that some political parties went into the election divided, and a house divided against itself can not stand,” he said.
“In view of the shenanigans postulated in the process of this election, IPAC Kogi state chapter is of the view that Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC) has performed beyond reasonable doubt.
“We appeal to all the registered political parties to accept the results of the election as announced by the commission,” he stated.
Badanga added that political parties under IPAC should henceforth avoid litigations and ventilating grievances, agitations and disagreement in courts.
He said “IPAC internal mechanisms, under alternative dispute resolution, is capable of handling all party squabbles no matter whose ox is gored”.
Badanga appealed to the elected local government chairmen to be magnanimous in victory by forming an all inclusive governance where all stakeholders are carried along in respective of their political leaning or differences.
The IPAC Chairman, however, lauded Governor Usman Ododo for creating an enabling environment for all political parties, security agencies that were on ground for free violence and substantially acceptable local government election in the State.
He admonished all stakeholders to work together for the development of the state where ethnicity, religion and sectionalism will never again raise its ugly heads.
IPAC disassociated itself from the youth leaders of political parties whom it said fictitiously assembled themselves in government house in order to defraud government of Kogi State.
“Those youth leaders are not known to IPAC.”
