Demands whereabouts of FG’s 20 trailers of rice intervention
By Taiwo Adeyemi
The People’s Democratic Party, PDP has lashed out at the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission, KWSIEC, for its shabby preparation ahead of the scheduled 21st September, 2024 local government election across the 16 local government areas in the State.
Olusegun Olushola Adewara, Kwara State PDP Publicity Secretary and Abdulganiyu Abdulqadir, Press Officer on Local Matters to former Senate President, Bukola Saraki made the remarks while appearing as guests on Diamond FM, Ilorin, Kwara State popular Yoruba Language News and Current Affairs programme, “E ba wa da si”.
It will be recalled that Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission, KWSIEC has announced Saturday, 21st September, 2024 as local government election day across the 16 local government areas in the State
Adewara berated the state electoral commission for changing existing guidelines that has made many residents of the State to question if the commission is ready for the poll.
“We don’t have confidence in this electoral commission appointed by the APC controlled government, KWSIEC issued guidelines and the same commission is violating it”.
“For instance, the commission never issued any guidelines to all political parties, it was when we went to the commission after conducting our primary elections that they gave us 14 copies of the election guidelines”.
“Imagine 14 copies for a whole political party instead of giving us for all candidates”.
He furthered that the it is obvious that the electoral umpire is working in connivance with the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC.
“The commission extended deadline for the submission of the names of candidates because APC in Kwara State failed to conduct any transparent primary elections”.
“We have in a local government, three candidates claiming they are the authentic candidate, PDP conducted transparent primary elections and we submitted our nominaion forms to the commission ahead of the deadline”.
“Another issue is the commission asking us to pay N350,000 for nomination form, we are talking about people that are showing interest to serve the people at the grassroots, it is easy for Governor Abudulraman Abdulrasaq to give his party members money to contest but what about other candidates from other political parties”.
“It’s obvious that KWSIEC is working for APC and the Governor to continue using his appointees as caretakers to run local governments in the state”.
“They are not ready for any election, they are rushing because of the Supreme Court judgment but PDP is ready, Kwarans are ready for the election”.
“Many challenges are facing the local government areas in the state for the past six years that the Governor removed democratically elected local government executives despite existing Supreme Court judgment, look at security at the grassroots, agriculture is in comatose, all what the Governor is doing is to do 3km road and interlocking”.
Abudulqadir maintained that the administration of Governor Abdulrasaq Abdulraman has been wasteful in managing the State resources with no tangible projects to show us”.
“PDP is the architect of the modern day Kwara State, we developed the State but APC has been spending money rehabilitating hotel”.
“Governor Abdulraman is demolishing infrastructure in the state without doing anything to beatify the State”.
“We have been asking his administration to give Kwara people breakdown of expenditures in the state, we wrote letter to the government but they refused to tell us”.
“During PDP administration, we always give our people breakdown of allocations and Internally Generated Revenue’.
“Kwara State got N15 billion from the Federal Government for the month of July but can you say that huge fund is in this State.
While answering question on the litigation between the PDP and the electoral commission, Abdulqadir explained that everybody warned the Governor not to amend local government electoral law in the state but the Governor was adamant.
“We warned the Governor and the House of Assembly not to amend the law but they refused to listen to us and CSO in the state”.
“Anybody can come out tomorrow to challenge the conduct of the election, this government can even sponsor anybody, court will determine the matter”.
He furthered that Governor Abdulraman should tell Kwara State residents where he put 20 trailers of rice the Federal Government gave to the State as palliatives.
“President Tinubu gave all the States 20 trailers of rice as palliatives but this administration has been silent about it, you should help us to ask him where the rice is?”.
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