The All Progressives Congress (APC) has emerged victorious in the recently concluded local council elections in Kebbi State, securing all 21 Chairmanship seats and 225 Ward Councillorship positions. The announcement was made on Sunday by the Kebbi State Independent Electoral Commission (KESIEC) Chairman, Aliyu Muhammad-Mera, in Birnin Kebbi.
Seventeen political parties, including the APC, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Labour Party (LP), Action Alliance Congress (AAC), Boot Party, Allied Peoples’ Movement (AP), and Social Democratic Party (SDP), participated in the elections. Despite the competition, the APC dominated the polls, winning every available seat.
Muhammad-Mera praised the peaceful conduct of the elections and expressed gratitude to the security agencies and other stakeholders for their support. He confirmed that the commission ratified and adopted the results as announced by the respective council Returning Officers and electoral wards.
However, the electoral process was not without controversy. The People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Kebbi’s main opposition, had boycotted the elections, citing concerns about the impartiality of the KESIEC leadership. The PDP alleged that Muhammad-Mera and his commissioners were card-carrying members of the APC, leading them to question the fairness of the election process.
This controversy adds a layer of complexity to the APC’s sweeping victory, as questions about the integrity of the electoral process continue to loom. The PDP’s decision to boycott the elections underscores the deepening political divisions in the state and raises concerns about the future of electoral transparency in Kebbi.
As the dust settles on these local council polls, the implications of the PDP’s allegations and the APC’s overwhelming success will likely resonate in Kebbi State’s political landscape, setting the stage for further debate and scrutiny.
