A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Momoh Obaro, has commended the peaceful atmosphere surrounding the recently concluded off-cycle elections in Kogi State.
The exercise, closely watched by both local and international observers, saw a high voter turnout and a notable absence of the disturbances that have marred previous elections in the state.
The Saturday, November 11, 2023 election saw candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Ahmed Usman Ododo, emerged victorious in Kogi State governorship election, securing 446,237 votes. His closest rival, Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, garnered 259,052 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Dino Melaye, trailed in third place with 46,362 votes.
The former governorship aspirant, and candidate for Kogi Central Senatorial seat who returned from England to oversee the electoral process, emphasized the significance of this achievement, considering the state’s contentious electoral past.
He expressed satisfaction with the citizens’ commitment to exercising their democratic rights. acknowledging the extensive efforts made by the people to cast their votes and participate in the selection of their leaders.
Contrary to widespread predictions of crisis and unrest, Obaro noted that the aftermath of the elections reveals a commendable sense of order and stability.
He dismissed misinformation circulating on various platforms, underlining the importance of fact-checking and accurate reporting in the age of digital media.
He said, “I think the exercise has gone very peacefully. The word “peaceful” here is crucial because, if you know the history of Kogi State during elections, they always come along with a lot of fighting. Today has gone without any events, so it is a great achievement. I am quite impressed with the turnout; people really came out to vote. Again, the decision for people to come out and exercise their right to select their leaders is something I am quite happy with.
“Essentially, all the predictions of turmoil and crises have not materialized. I have not heard of any crisis. All the predictions of doom and crisis are proving to be inaccurate, and I see that as a great improvement. I am one of the community leaders around. I served as the governor of Kogi State 20 years ago under the platform of PDP. I also ran for the position of senatorial candidate in 2007.”
He emphasized “I am a political leader involved, and I am someone who loves the community and wants to see progress. I live mostly in England, and I have come all the way from England for this exercise, showing my commitment. I am happy that I am here, and I have seen everything that transpired. “
“I know there are people whose stock-in-trade is to disseminate information, especially with digital platforms and social media. You can see them in their corners creating and spreading information without proper verification. They may think they are creating a form, but they are, in fact, spreading a lot of misinformation. Human beings, generally, no matter the level of information we claim to have, are creatures of ignorance.
“There are lots of things we don’t know, but we try to speculate. People who have not even been to Kogi State have said so much about it, but we are here now. People have called me and asked how Kogi State is. They express concerns about my safety, questioning why I am going into Kogi State. These are the kinds of ignorance I’m talking about.
“People are going about their normal business. They have gone and headed to exercise their franchise. Just to create the reality, we always find out exactly what is happening, and I think that is what we are doing now. I have come to see, move around, and talked to people. There is no reason for any sort of crisis or anarchy. People have campaigned and stated what they would do for the people, and it is for the people to make choices based on what the candidates have said,” he noted.
