Stakeholders berate non-conduct of council polls in Kogi

Failure to conduct council elections in Kogi State for almost three years has been described as high-level corruption that negates the principles of accountability and democracy.

This is the outcome of a workshop on ‘The Role of Media and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) on Anti-corruption, Transparency and Accountability in Elections’ yesterday in Lokoja.

Participants, in a communiqué signed by the executive director, Centre for Human Rights and Conflict Resolutions, Lokoja, Idris Abdul, and chairman of the state chapter of Nigeria Union of journalists (NUJ), Adeiza Jimoh, therefore, demanded the immediate initiation of a process that would lead to the conduct of councils elections in Kogi as provided for in the constitution.

Organised by the Centre for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR), in partnership with the Yar’Adua Foundation, supported by MacArthur Foundation, the workshop aims at improving the relationship between the media and civil society.

The communiqué indicated that the media and the civil society have joint responsibility in anti-corruption, transparency and accountability in elections.
It urged them to work together to succeed in that direction, observing that INEC guidelines and the Electoral Act were not adhered to during the Kogi by-elections of August 11, 2018 when compared to the Osun governorship elections of September 22.

The communiqué read in part: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as a body needs to explain to the people of Nigeria, and Kogi in particular, the rationale behind the declaration of the Lokoja/Koton Karfe House Representatives by-election held on August 11, 2018 as conclusive, whereas the same scenario in the governorship election in Osun State on September 22, 2018 was declared inconclusive.”

The organisers of the event that had in attendance the print and electronic media practitioners, CSOs, as well as women and youth organisations, commended the Yar’Adua Foundation for the partnership and thanked MacArthur Foundation for the support.