By BANNERNEWS Reporter, Lokoja
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has won all 21 chairmanship and 239 councillorship seats in Saturday’s local government elections in Kogi State, according to results announced by the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC).
The commission’s chairman, Hon. Mamman Nda Eri, announced the results early Sunday at its headquarters in Lokoja, declaring APC candidates elected across all 21 local government areas and 239 wards.
He said 12 political parties were cleared to participate after meeting statutory requirements, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Social Democratic Party (SDP) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were among those excluded over alleged failure to meet documentation and deadline requirements.
Nda Eri said the election covered 3,508 polling units and was conducted peacefully in line with the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission Law, 2025, and the Electoral Act, 2022.
He added that certificates of return would be issued to the elected officials on a date to be announced.
The commission commended Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for providing logistical support and what it described as a non-interference environment, while also acknowledging the contributions of security agencies, political parties, observers, journalists and voters.
Ododo described the exercise as peaceful, contrasting it with previous local government elections in the state that he said were marked by violence.
“ You can see that local government elections are now just like a carnival,” the governor said, while thanking President Bola Tinubu for supporting security efforts.
An election observer, Dr. Joseph Aremu, an associate professor at the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED) and chairman of the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission, also described the exercise as peaceful and reported a substantial voter turnout.
However, opposition figures disputed the credibility of the process.
Kogi CNPP Chairman, Comrade Mohammed Kabir Abdullahi, described the election as “the biggest mockery” of democracy, arguing that the country had regressed rather than advanced democratically.
Similarly, PDP Organising Secretary in the state, Abdukadir Ibrahim, alleged that electoral materials were diverted to undisclosed locations instead of the designated local government areas.
The outgoing chairmen and councillors were sworn in on October 23, 2024, for a two-year tenure.
