*** Stakeholders Question Motive, Demand Clarification on Election Timetable
By Amuda Dan Sulaiman Fab
Anger and confusion have continued to trail the decision of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State to begin selling nomination forms for Local Government Council Chairmen and Councillors even though the tenure of the current officeholders has not yet expired.
Nomination forms were reportedly sold to councillors and aspiring candidates on Thursday at the APC State Secretariat in Lokoja, a development that immediately sparked outrage among party stakeholders, civil society groups and concerned citizens.
In a statement issued on Friday, a civic advocacy group criticized the move as premature, undemocratic and potentially destabilizing.
The group questioned the motive behind initiating a fresh electoral process while the present officeholders are still serving their mandate.
“We are shocked that nomination forms are already being sold when the tenure of the current council chairmen and councillors has not elapsed.
This raises serious issues of transparency, fairness, and respect for democratic structures,” the group stated.
The group further expressed concern over an alleged election timetable already in circulation, claiming that the schedule has neither been officially announced nor properly communicated by the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC).
“We also question the reported release of an election timetable. Where is it coming from? Who approved it? Why has it not been formally made public? This secrecy suggests something is not right,” the statement read.
According to the group, the early sale of forms may be a deliberate attempt to unseat certain serving officials and replace them before the completion of their tenure, a move they said could fuel division within the party and heighten political tension across local government areas.
They called on Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo, the state leadership of the APC and the national party headquarters to urgently intervene and provide clarity to avoid what they described as a looming political crisis.
As of press time, APC officials in the state have not issued an official explanation regarding the early sale of nomination forms or confirmed the authenticity of the alleged election timetable.
More details to follow.
