The Kogi State Government has announced the restriction of vehicular movement on Saturday, between 7.a.m. and 4p.m. Mr Kingsley Fanwo, Commissioner for Information, in a statement issued in Lokoja on Friday, said that the decision was to ensure a hitch-free Council Poll in the state.
“The decision is also to guarantee the security of voters and citizens across the 21 Local Government Areas of the state. Already the state government has directed security agencies to enforce the order in the interest of the people and to ensure that offenders are punished, ” he said .
The commissioner called on the citizens to come out massively to participate in the local government election to elect their representatives at the local government areas. He is however, assured prospective voters of adequate security as they exercise their franchise on Saturday.
Fanwo added: “We also wish to express confidence in the capacity of the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC) to organise a free, fair and credible Council Poll across the state. We hereby urge citizens to be peaceful and to make their choices known through the ballot.”
According to him, it is pertinent to call on the citizens to make democracy a free will of the people and the power of the ballot over the bullets. He said that the state government would do everything within the precinct of the law to maintain law and order for the growth and development of the state.
No restriction of movement for travellers during LG polls – Kogi govt.
Meanwhile, the Kogi State Government has said there will be no restriction of movement for travellers passing through the state during the Saturday local government elections. Chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC) Mr Mamman Nda-Eri, stated made this in an interview in Lokoja on Friday.
Nda-Eri assured travellers of their immunity from the statement earlier issued on Friday by the state Commissioner for Information, Mr Kingsley Fanwo on restriction of vehicular movement between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. of Saturday. Fanwo had said that the decision to restrict vehicular movement on Saturday was to ensure hitch-free council polls in the state.
“The decision is also to guarantee the security of voters and citizens across the 21 local government areas of the state. Already, the state government has directed security agencies to enforce the order in the interest of the people and to ensure that offenders are punished,” the commissioner had said.
However, the KOSIEC chairman told NAN that the restriction order was only for residents of the state and not the travellers passing through Kogi.
“We are aware that Kogi is a gateway state and we can’t stop people from travelling across the state. The election is very crucial though, but we understand the fears of travellers. They can pass without any problem,” he said.
Nda-Eri also disclosed that the deployment of sensitive electoral materials to LGAs had commenced, adding that they had been released to the electoral officers in all the 21 local government areas of the state.
The chairman, who monitored the release of the sensitive electoral materials at the headquarters of the commission, said they arrived at the headquarters of the commission around 9:00 p.m. of Thursday.
He said that the election would take place in the 239 wards of the 21 council areas simultaneously on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.