Kwara: APC sweeps LG polls, claims all 16 chairmanship, 193 councillorship seats

By Mosunmola Ayobami, Ilorin

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has reaffirmed its political dominance in Kwara State by securing a sweeping victory in the state’s local government elections held on Saturday.

The ruling party won all 16 chairmanship positions across the Local Government Areas (LGAs) and claimed all 193 councillorship seats in the state.

In the early hours of Sunday, the chairman of the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWSIEC), Baba Okanla, announced the results, praising the peaceful conduct of the polls and commending the security agencies, election officials, and the people of Kwara for their roles in ensuring a smooth electoral process.

Speaking to journalists at a press briefing in Ilorin, Okanla expressed gratitude to the media for their objective reporting and stressed the significance of the peaceful electoral environment in fostering trust and transparency.

“The process was peaceful, orderly, and credible, thanks to the collective efforts of our security agencies, electoral officers, and the citizens of Kwara State, who came out in large numbers to exercise their civic rights,” Okanla said.

He further revealed that five political parties – the APC, People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Accord, Social Democratic Party (SDP), and Allied Peoples Movement (APM) – participated in the elections across the state’s 16 LGAs and 193 wards. However, the APC emerged as the overwhelming victor.

APC’s landslide victory
Following the collation and verification of results from polling units across the state, Okanla declared the APC the winner of all the chairmanship seats, alongside the 193 councillorship positions.

“The All Progressives Congress has emerged victorious in all categories. They have won the chairmanship in all 16 Local Government Areas and secured all 193 councillorship seats across the wards,” he stated.

He noted that the success of the elections was a reflection of the commitment of political parties to peaceful engagement, highlighting the absence of significant disruptions or violence throughout the voting process.

“We are also grateful for the professionalism displayed by the security agencies, who ensured a peaceful atmosphere across the state. Their efforts, alongside those of our dedicated electoral staff, contributed immensely to the success of this exercise,” Okanla added.

Breakdown of results
The results provided a detailed breakdown of the APC’s dominance across various Local Government Areas. In Ifelodun LGA, the APC secured 22,524 votes, defeating the PDP and APM, which managed 2,727 and 482 votes respectively. Similar patterns of victory were replicated in other LGAs.

In Oyun LGA, APC garnered 12,159 votes, outclassing PDP’s 356 and APM’s 386. Oke Ero LGA saw APC record 7,472 votes, while PDP had 1,168 and APM 224.

Ilorin South LGA recorded 20,207 votes for the APC, leaving PDP with 2,072, APM with 226, and the SDP with 621. In Ilorin West LGA, the APC earned a massive 50,128 votes, while PDP and APM trailed with 4,202 and 1,882 votes respectively.

Other LGAs saw similar results in favor of the APC:

• Patigi LGA: APC (14,119), PDP (2,939), APM (806)
• Edu LGA: APC (23,963), PDP (3,851), APM (424)
• Offa LGA: APC (22,400), PDP (1,586), Accord (1,919), SDP (391), APM (636)

The story was the same in the remaining LGAs, with the APC emerging unchallenged in every race.

Peaceful process strengthens democracy
Okanla emphasized that the peaceful nature of the election was crucial to strengthening the democratic process in Kwara State. He expressed hope that future elections would continue to be marked by the high level of decorum and engagement displayed by political parties and the electorate in the just-concluded polls.

“As we move forward, let us continue to build on this foundation of peace and credibility in our electoral process. Kwara State has once again set a high standard, and we hope that this spirit of unity and respect for democratic values will prevail in future elections,” Okanla concluded.