In Kwara State, five political parties have signed up to take part in the local government elections set for September 21, 2024. These parties are the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Peoples Movement (APM), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Accord Party (AP).
Mr. Mohammed Baba Okanla, who is the Chairman of the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWASIEC), announced this information during the 42nd Media Parliament organized by the Kwara State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Ilorin on Wednesday.
Additionally, over 21,000 people who don’t have jobs applied for temporary positions for the upcoming local government elections. However, only about 7,000 of those applicants were chosen.
The commission has said that they are fully prepared to conduct smooth elections across 2,887 polling units in the 16 local government areas of the state.
Okanla stated, “The commission has planned a detailed timetable for the upcoming local government elections to make sure everyone involved is ready. The elections will happen on September 21, 2024. Polling stations will open at 8 am and voting will end by 3 pm. After voting, sorting, counting, and adding up the votes will start right away. The results will be collected at specific centers and announced once counting is done.”
The KWASIEC chairman emphasized that the commission is totally ready for the elections. They have made sure everything is planned well, from training the workers involved to distributing election materials, ensuring the elections will run smoothly and fairly.
He also mentioned that the commission is working together with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make the elections a success.
Okanla said, “We take the voter register very seriously. A trustworthy voter register is the key to any free and fair election because it ensures only eligible citizens can vote.”
The commission has organized training for both its staff and temporary workers who will oversee the elections across 193 wards in the state. Okanla also mentioned that they have talked with security agencies to ensure everyone’s safety during the elections.