A major controversy has erupted in Nigeria ahead of the local government election in Kogi State, slated for October 19, 2024. The Conference of Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) has announced its intention to boycott the election, citing a lack of transparency and confidence in the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC).
According to the Kogi State Chairman of CNPP, Comrade Mohammed Kabir Abdullahi, the electoral body has failed to engage relevant stakeholders, including political parties, in the preparation for the council polls. “It is totally unacceptable for KOSIEC to be organizing training ahead of the Local Government election without any political party in attendance,” Abdullahi said in a statement.
The CNPP Chairman further expressed concerns over the neutrality of KOSIEC, stating that the electoral body appeared to be favoring the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party. “They are making us conclude that before you participate in an election in Kogi State, you must belong to their cabal or secret cult,” he said.
Abdullahi also emphasized the need for a free and fair election, arguing that Nigeria was “not a banana Republic” and that Kogi State could not “be running a parallel country inside a sovereign nation like ours.” He warned that allowing the electoral body to “dance to the tune of the APC” would be “a rape of democracy.”
The CNPP’s threat to boycott the election highlights the growing concern over electoral malpractice and corruption in Nigeria. The country has been undergoing significant political reforms aimed at improving the electoral process, but this controversy threatens to undermine those efforts.
In announcing the boycott, Abdullahi made it clear that the CNPP had “lost confidence” in KOSIEC and would not participate in an election that lacked credibility and transparency. “It will be a curse to our present and future generation if as stakeholders today, we fold our arms and allow some power-drunk individuals to deny innocent Kogites purposeful representation at the grassroots,” he warned.