Ododo Commends Peaceful Kogi Local Government Elections

Ododo Commends Peaceful Kogi Local Government Elections

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Voters headed to the polls across Kogi State on Saturday, October 17, 2026, to elect new local government leaders across 239 wards and 3,508 polling units. Governor Usman Ododo praised the high turnout and hailed the peaceful atmosphere of the grassroots vote.

Security Measures and Police Deployment Across 21 Local Government Areas

The Kogi State Police Command enforced a joint operation order alongside other security agencies to secure the elections across all 21 local government areas. Police Commissioner Naziru Bello Kankarofi convened strategic meetings with area commanders, divisional police officers, and department heads to mandate strict compliance with election security guidelines, professionalism, and impartiality.

To stop disruptions before they started, the command deployed intelligence assets to identified flashpoints for early threat detection. Officers received directives to submit hourly situation reports and maintain rapid response capabilities. The police also published dedicated emergency telephone lines—07038329084 and 08152195982—urging residents to report suspicious movements immediately.

Kogi LG Poll: Governor Ododo speak after casting his vote

Governor Ododo Casts His Vote and Praises Federal Support

Governor Ododo cast his ballot at his polling unit in Upogoro, Okene, and later spoke to journalists at the Ukpokoro/Odenku ward. He drew a sharp contrast between Saturday’s orderly exercise and the violence that marred previous local government ballots in the state.

The peaceful atmosphere surrounding the exercise is a significant departure from the violence and bloodshed that has characterised Local Government elections in the past.

Ododo credited President Bola Tinubu for providing the security framework that allowed the elections to take on what he described as a celebratory, carnival-like atmosphere. The governor also used the occasion to endorse President Tinubu for a second term, pointing to federal intervention in security and infrastructure as vital to the state’s stability.

Ododo Commends Peaceful Kogi Local Government Elections
Photo: Kogi State Government

Electoral Commission Guidelines and Observer Protocols

The Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (KOSIEC), led by Chairman Mamman Nda Eri, set strict rules for the poll. During an October 15 briefing at the commission’s headquarters in Lokoja, Eri warned election observers against interfering in the process or issuing premature announcements on outcomes.

Observers are responsible to KOSIEC and should be more interested in the process rather than the results.

Eri confirmed that voting stations would close at 3:00 p.m., though any voter already waiting in line by that cutoff time would be permitted to cast a ballot. Results were scheduled to be collated and declared locally at polling units, wards, and local government areas before formal transmission to the commission.

Civil Society Concerns and Opposition Demands for Transparency

Despite administrative assurances from KOSIEC, civil society groups and residents raised concerns ahead of the vote. Ahead of Saturday, AIT News reported that local residents were calling for greater public sensitisation, warning that limited voter awareness could dampen participation. Observers from the Forum of Election Observers in Nigeria, led by Kogi State Chapter Chairman Comrade Idris Miliki, urged monitors to prioritize personal safety on the ground.

It is those that are alive that can write reports.

Ododo Commends Peaceful Kogi Local Government Elections
Photo: Kogi Reports

Political commentators also questioned whether grassroots elections deliver genuine popular sovereignty when outcomes appear heavily stacked.

Ruling Party Figures Express Election Confidence

Ruling party figures expressed total confidence in the outcome as voting proceeded. The All Progressives Congress chairmanship candidate, Mr Ezekiel Sunday Osiako, described the process at Oshobane Ward in Ogori as orderly and praised the electoral commission for establishing a level playing field.

The massive turnout has shown that the APC will win the forthcoming elections. I am confident that all our candidates will emerge victorious.

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