Kogi West supplementary: Blame voters apathy on political parties, says REC

Kogi State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. James Apam, has attributed the low turnout of voters in Saturday’s Kogi West Senatorial District supplementary election to poor mobilisation by the political parties.

He spoke against the backdrop of voters apathy observed in several polling units in wards in Kabba, Mopa Moro and Lokoja.

The REC said that the political parties should be blamed for voter apathy, who according to him, failed at convincing their supporters on the need to come out and vote.

The exercise was however peaceful in Lokoja and other areas of Kogi West, including Odolu in Kabba, Aiyetoro-Gbedde and Demonstration Primary School, in the Asuta Ward voting unit of PDP National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan.

At the Ward B Unit 001, Karaworo, near Pararanda, in Lokoja, accreditation began as early as 8am, after which voting commenced.

While voters’ turnout was impressive in the capital, there was reported voter apathy in parts of Okun land.

In Mopa there was near no sign of the exercise, as most people stayed away from the polling units in the two wards that were affected.

In Kabba, with about seven polling units, voting had ended about two hours before 2pm.

Some of the voters attributed the low turnout to fears of a repeat of the violence that greeted the November 16 poll.

A People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, who spoke under the condition of anonymity, attributed the low turnout to fears that their votes won’t count.

He said that more of the voters stayed away for fear of being caught in any violent crossfire.