By Victoria Okpanachi
Kogi State witnessed a historic moment on Saturday, while hosting one of its most peaceful Local Government elections to date, with a commendable voter turnout.
At Unit 009, Ganaja Primary School, Ajaokuta Local Government Area, voters demonstrated discipline as they waited patiently for the arrival of officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
By 9:10 a.m., INEC officials had arrived, and the electorate seamlessly organised themselves, casting their ballots in an orderly and peaceful manner.
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The smooth conduct of the election has drawn praises from many residents. According to them, this election has boosted their confidence in the leadership of Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo and the efforts to foster a peaceful democratic process across the state.
While speaking with The Graphic, Prince Mohammed Haruna Ganaja, a stakeholder at Ganaja unit 009 Ajokuta Local Government Area, applauded the INEC officials for maintaining professionalism while commending the electorate for being organised. He thanked the security agencies who were heavily present to ensure peace and order.
According to him, the late arrival of the material did you not deter the electorate as they waited patiently to exercise their civic right.
He stressed that this is a plus to the government of Governor Ododo as his first election has turned out to be the most peaceful in the history of elections in the unit.
In an interview with The Graphic, Barrister Haruna, an electorate and a stakeholder at the polling unit, affirmed that the election was conducted in the best manner ever.
According to him, “the security personnel are on ground while everyone is conducting themselves in the most appropriate manner.” He praised the Governor for ensuring this standard and hoped for this type of compliance for future elections.
Also speaking with The Graphic, Mohammed Smaila, an observer, said aside from the fact that the INEC officials came a little bit late, general conduct of the election is commendable. He stressed that it has generally been peaceful, while security personnels are also on ground to maintain orderliness.
