AGS NEWS – The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has announced its readiness for the local council elections scheduled for September 21, 2024, by the Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission (KWASIEC).

In a statement issued by its spokesman, Olusegun Olushola Adewara, in Ilorin on Saturday, the main opposition party confirmed its preparedness following a meeting with KWASIEC and other political parties involved in the polls.

The meeting, held in Ilorin, was attended by PDP representatives including state chairman Babatunde Mohammed and state party secretary Abdulrahman Abdullahi Kayode.

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“We are pleased to declare that our party is fully prepared for the upcoming elections,” said Adewara. “We have not requested any changes to the election timetable previously set by KWASIEC.

Our commitment to a transparent and timely electoral process remains strong, and we are confident in our readiness to participate as scheduled.”

Regarding nomination fees, the PDP aligned with suggestions from other parties, advocating for affordable costs for both councilorship and chairmanship aspirants.

They proposed that councilorship nomination forms should not exceed N50,000, and chairmanship forms should not exceed N200,000.

Efforts to reach the spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aro Folaranmi, for comment on Saturday were unsuccessful as calls to his phone went unanswered.

However, it was gathered that the APC set nomination fees at N100,000 for chairmanship and N25,000 for councilorship positions.

The PDP also emphasized the importance of KWASIEC maintaining independence and ensuring a fair electoral process.

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They called on the electoral commission to demonstrate impartiality and transparency, urging that any actions compromising the integrity of the democratic process be addressed seriously.

“The integrity of our democratic processes is paramount,” the PDP statement emphasized, “and KWASIEC must ensure that it operates independently and without influence from any political party.”