The recent local government elections in Kwara State sparked contrasting opinions from the government and former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki. The Kwara State government criticized Saraki’s remarks on the election results, calling them self-flattering and laughable. The government-backed candidates of the All Progressives Congress emerged as winners in the elections, as declared by the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission.
Saraki, on the other hand, expressed dissatisfaction with the election results, claiming discrepancies between the announced outcomes and the actual votes cast in various local government areas. Despite this, he commended the people for standing against what he described as bad governance and lack of legitimacy in the election results.
The government, represented by the Commissioner for Communications, Mrs. Bolanle Olukoju, countered Saraki’s statements, accusing his party of attempting to disrupt the election process and lacking credibility among voters. The government highlighted its efforts to win the trust of the people through infrastructural projects and social protection programs, contrasting it with what they described as Saraki’s administration’s failures in addressing public welfare issues.
Both parties presented conflicting narratives regarding the election results and governance in Kwara State, reflecting a deep-rooted political divide in the region.