Date: 2017-10-19

The Kwara State Independent Electoral Commission said on Wednesday that only 11 out of the 45 registered political parties in Nigeria had signified interest in the November 18 local government poll in the state.

Alhaji Uthman Ajidagba, the Chairman of the commission, stated this while featuring on "Media Parliament" organised by the state council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Ilorin.

Ajidagba said although 36 political parties had offices in the state, only 11 fielded candidates for the council polls.

He said the deadline for the purchase of nomination forms had elapsed, adding that candidates who failed to meet up would not be considered.

Ajidagba assured stakeholders that the commission was ready to conduct free, fair and credible election just as it did in 2013.

The chairman denied allegation by the opposition that the commission was biased in its activities, saying that it was untrue that it plans to rig the election in favour of the ruling party in the state.

He said that the commission would engage about 4,000 ad hoc staff for the polls, ruling out possibilities of engaging members of the National Youth Service Corps.