As reported by Daily Trust, former Senate President Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki has criticised the outcome of the recently concluded local government elections in Kwara State, stating that the elected chairmen and councillors lack the legitimacy and mandate of the people.

In a statement released on Wednesday by his Press Officer (Political and Local Matters), Abdulganiyu Abdulqadir, Saraki expressed gratitude to the people of Kwara for their "courage demonstrated against all odds" during the elections, which he described as a clear signal of rejection towards the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Daily Trust reports that the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC), declared the APC winners of the polls in the 16 council areas in the state.

But the PDP rejected the results and claimed victory alleging deliberate undermining of the process to disenfranchise its members.

According to Saraki, despite the alleged collaboration between the government and SIEC, the people rose above partisan consideration to take a stand against bad governance.

“In a manner that went beyond partisan consideration and gave expression to the protection of community interests, people from Kwara mobilised themselves to the polling units and met the absence of electoral officials and shoddy preparations by the electoral body.

“Yet the people stood firm against the deliberately concocted frustrations. In some areas, the votes were heavily stacked against APC candidates. In other areas, the voters stood against a system in which less than ten percent of the ballot papers were supplied to polling units for the huge number of accredited voters with no result sheets supplied, amongst other inadequacies.

“Whatever results the electoral body eventually declared, our people have sent a clear signal to a government that has not made any significant, positive impact on their lives after 64 months in office.

“It is a shame that the 16 local government areas now have chairmen and councillors who would be in office without legitimacy and people’s mandate,” he noted.

Saraki said Kwarans had demonstrated that democracy is about the people and any government that refused to serve the purpose for which it was elected would be voted out.

“The people of Kwara State deserve to be praised for demonstrating how politically savvy, sophisticated, and discerning they are. A government that continuously takes the people for granted will get its deserved result at the polls.

“I join numerous Kwarans to thank and commend the various political parties, community development associations, youth groups, religious bodies, and others who form the core of the democratic action that we witnessed on Saturday. May God bless you all,” he added.

The former Senate President said the PDP fielded candidates who are very popular in their respective communities and acceptable to the people.

“This made it easier for the people to rally around them. I congratulate these candidates for making themselves available for people to use in expressing their preference.

“The good people of Kwara State spoke loud and clear last Saturday. Those who can listen heard them too. They demonstrated character, courage, clarity of vision, and conviction. It is yet a new dawn in Kwara State,” Saraki stated.

When contacted, the SIEC chairman, Mohammed Baba-Okanla, said “persons or party aggrieved about the exercise in whatever form should take the necessary step of approaching the court.

On his part, the SA Political to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, Mr Femi Agbaje Whyte, told our correspondent that “Anybody can say whatever he likes, but the bottom line is that Kwarans are not ready to go back to their vomit. The governor is performing and the people have demonstrated the resolve to continue with the progress witnessed in the past five years”.