A popular activist, Comrade Idris Miliki, has accused the Kogi State Government of fraudulent activity for not releasing the local government election result one year after it was conducted.
DAILY POST recalls that the Kogi State council election was conducted on 12th December 2020.
Speaking on Thursday at a one-day meeting with Civil Society Organization (CSO) partners on prioritizing anti-corruption and accountability issues during the upcoming 2023 election at the state level, Miliki, who is the Executive Director, Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR) described as shameful that Kogites are still begging the relevant authorities to release an election result conducted for over a year.
According to him, corruption has gone beyond embezzling public funds, adding that, continuous failure to release the council result even when the elected chairman has been inaugurated and they have been collecting salary should be condemned.
He noted that it is the duty of the government to be accountable to the people, stressing that, the fight against corruption is a collective responsibility.
“One year after the purported kangaroo Local Government election was conducted in Kogi State, we are yet to have access to the election result. The chairman has been inaugurated, and they are collecting salaries from public funds. This is totally unacceptable and should be condemned in its entirety.
“Nigerians can access the result of the election that brought in our Governor in Kogi State. What is still keeping them from releasing the council result? This is corruption in the highest order. I am bold to say that this government is fraudulent because they failed to release the result of an election one year after it was conducted. I must admit here, this is a slap on our nation’s democracy,” he said.
He admonished Governor Yahaya Bello to mandate the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC) to release the result without further delay.
While noting that citizens groups and election support coalitions should canvas for affirmative action and social inclusion, the activist lamented that the 2023 election remains a defining moment for Nigerians to make informed choices based on anti-corruption and accountability.
He called on Nigerians to demand reforms towards improving Electoral accountability as well as call for more participation of vulnerable and marginalized groups like women, youths and persons living with disabilities.
Miliki urged the media who would be in the forefront covering Political parties convention’s and congresses to ask questions on anti-corruption and accountability, stressing that, the country cannot continue in the same old ways of Electoral corruption as a way of strengthening Democracy.
