The Chairman of the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC), Mamman Nda-Eri, and electoral observers have commended the peaceful conduct and massive voter turnout recorded during the 2026 local government elections in the state.
Nda-Eri, who spoke while monitoring the exercise, said the commission remained committed to ensuring that every valid vote was protected and counted, while assuring political parties and voters of its neutrality.
He acknowledged complaints from some political parties but dismissed allegations circulating on social media that he said were untrue, adding that some parties were making claims after failing to meet the requirements to participate in the election.
The KOSIEC chairman, however, admitted that electoral bodies often faced accusations of favouring particular political interests, stressing that the commission would do its best to demonstrate impartiality throughout the process.
He said the commission would not close polling units at the scheduled 3 p.m. deadline if voters were still on the queue, explaining that everyone waiting to vote would be allowed to exercise their franchise.
Nda-Eri described the turnout as impressive, attributing the development partly to voter education and the involvement of political parties in sensitising their supporters during the campaign period.
According to him, the election marked the final stage of a process that began about 360 days earlier, adding that the exercise was being conducted in line with the commission’s timetable.
He urged eligible voters who had yet to cast their ballots to come out and participate, noting that citizens who declined to vote would have limited grounds to complain about the outcome of the democratic process.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission, Associate Professor Joseph Aremo, said members of the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commissions of Nigeria were in Kogi for a peer-review exercise to assess compliance with electoral laws and guidelines.
Aremo said the delegation was monitoring the conduct of the election to determine the extent to which KOSIEC had complied with the Electoral Act, the Kogi State electoral law and the commission’s established guidelines.
He expressed satisfaction with the conduct of voters and the atmosphere at polling units visited by the observers, describing the exercise as peaceful and the turnout as encouraging.
According to him, the delegation had not recorded any casualty or witnessed incidents of shooting, vote buying or ballot stuffing in the areas visited as of the time of the assessment.
He also commended the deployment and conduct of security personnel, including police officers, operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and other security agencies.
Aremo said the experience underscored the need for electoral commissions to strengthen voter education and ensure peaceful elections, noting that an informed electorate was essential to the survival of democratic institutions.
He urged candidates who emerged victorious to carry their opponents and other stakeholders along in governance, while encouraging those who lost to accept the outcome and prepare for future elections.
Earlier, the All Progressives Congress chairmanship candidate in Lokoja Local Government Area, Abdulrahman Hussein, popularly known as Gentle, commended Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo for providing security for the election.
Hussein also praised the governor for creating an atmosphere he described as conducive to a free and fair exercise, allowing voters to choose candidates of their preference.
Expressing confidence in his chances, the APC candidate said his supporters had turned out to demonstrate their support for the party and the governor.
He pledged to prioritise security, support women in business and encourage educational development if elected, while expressing optimism that the state government’s efforts to improve access to water would benefit Lokoja and other parts of Kogi State.
