By TINA TIMOTHY

The government of Kogi State had said that there will be restriction of vehicular movement between the hours of 7am to 4pm on Saturday October 19, 2024 ?to ensure a hitch-free Council Poll in the state and to guarantee the security of voters and citizens across the 21 local government areas of the state.?

While calling on citizens to come out massively to participate in the Local Government election, the government in a press statement on Thursday, October 17 signed by the Hon. Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, further urged the security agencies as well as the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to play their respective roles in ensuring that voters exercise their franchise, adding that ?the State Government will do everything within the precinct of the law to maintain law and order.?

The statement reads: ?The Kogi State Government announces the restriction of vehicular movement between the hours of 7am to 4pm on Saturday 19th October, 2023.

?The decision is to ensure a hitch-free Council Poll in the State and to guarantee the security of voters and citizens across the 21 Local Government Areas of the State.

?The State Government has directed security agencies to enforce the order in the interest of the people and to ensure that offenders are punished.

?The State Government also calls on citizens to come out massively to participate in the Local Government election to elect their representatives at the Local Government Areas. We assure prospective voters of adequate security as they exercise their franchise on Saturday.

?We also wish to express confidence in the capacity of the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission to organise a free, fair and credible Council Poll across the state. We urge citizens to be peaceful and to make their choices known through the ballot.

?It is pertinent to call on our citizens to make democracy a free will of the people and the power of the ballot over the bullets. The State Government will do everything within the precinct of the law to maintain law and order.?

Update news