Date: 2013-09-01

Below is the text of a press release from Hon. Saheed Popoola, APC candidate in Saturday's LG re-run

I am shocked like everyone else here and everywhere across the world where the Offa rerun poll was monitored. And like everyone else, I am still waiting for KWASIEC to say, ‘look, we never authorised the silly announcement on Kwara Radio, just ignore them please!’ So I still believe the Dr Ajidaga-led KWASIEC, with its promise of clean poll, has not announced the result of Offa rerun.

To be fair to the security agents, the conduct of the poll was peaceful and orderly. But what happened between 5p.m. when results from polling units level and this morning when Radio Kwara announced that PDP has been declared victorious have confirmed the fact that election results are altered only behind people’s back.

As at 12:50 a.m. this morning, the KWASIEC chairman Dr Uthman Ajidagba was telling all the political party agents and representatives who had come from Offa to Ilorin that they should return to KWASIEC office Ilorin at 10 a.m.for official announcement of result. Strangely at 6a.m. on Sunday, Radio Kwara – in a martial manner mimicking military overthrow of civilian regimes – repeatedly announced that the PDP has been declared winner of the rerun poll.

Interestingly, by 5:30 p.m, on Saturday duly signed results from all the 12 wards in Offa were already in at the local government collation centre in Offa. The results showed clearly that APC trounced the PDP in 11 of the 12 wards. PDP won only in Igboodun Ward. In all, APC scored 11,526 as against PDP’s 4668. For the avoidance of doubts, the results from the 12 wards are as follows: Balogun Ward: APC - 1129 PDP -504; Shawo Central: APC - 1132 PDP-435; Shawo SW : APC- 1171 PDP – 372; Shawo SE: APC- 1054 PDP -370; Essa A : APC - 639 PDP -363; Essa B: APC -644 PDP -381; Ojomu NW : APC -1314 PDP -446; Ojomu Central 1: APC -866 PDP -373; Ojomu Central 2 : APC - 866 PDP- 373; Ojomu SE : APC -1374 PDP -427; Ogbodun : APC - 268 PDP – 381; and Essa C : APC - 972 PDP – 351. The finally tally comes to APC, 11, 526 and PDP, 4668. These are the results contained on the forms signed by all the agents and KWASIEC officials. We have copies of them as obtained by our agents who had gone to the local council secretariat of KWASIEC in Offa for final collation and announcement.

So while everyone awaited the KWASIEC Returning Officer for the Local Government to officially collate and announce the result, the official was nowhere to be found. Hours after, the police team directed everyone to move to Ilorin following reports that the KWASIEC man was already in Ilorin and was to announce the result there.

Indeed the law is very clear about where to collate and announce results for local government elections: it is the council headquarters of the electoral body. The fact that KWASIEC did not allow collation and announcement to take place at the right place is enough reason to smell foul play. That suspicion has now been confirmed beyond reasonable doubt!

The result announced on Radio Kwara was by PDP and not KWSIEC. When did Kwara Radio become the exclusive place to announce results of an election that held in open space across a local council? Why were all other media representatives and party chieftains who were at KWASIEC till daybreak not called to witness the announcement?

This is one impunity too many. It cannot stand. I reject the announcement on radio Kwara and like I said we take it that it is not from KWASIEC. If it is true, as we strongly doubt it, then it is most atrocious and had laid an unfortunate foundation for chaos now and in the future. Yes we can only restrain our supporters from being provoked by this dastardly act but we don’t have such powers over the thousands of Offa people who endured the not-so-friendly weather to express their wish and whose mandate has now been so brazenly trampled upon. The architects of this heist no doubt have no claim to civility.

As law-abiding party and citizens, we will challenge the whole mess in the court of law. But clearly whatever has been announced on Radio Kwara provocative and is a deliberate attempt to provoke the Offa people into violence.

 

Prince Saheed Popoola
APC Chairmanship Candidate
September 1, 2013