APC leads as indigenes react to the Kaduna LG election exercise

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The All Progressive Congress (APC) has won election in most of the 19 local government areas of Kaduna State.

The opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won in only two local governments of Kaura and Jaba.

The council election took place on Saturday, 4th September 2021 following its rescheduling by the Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission (KADSIECOM) over faulty machine batteries.

Following the eventual arrival of all the necessary materials for the exercise, the election was scheduled to take place in all the 23 local government areas in the state.

However, Zangon Kataf, Chikun, Kajuru and Birinin Gwari communities did not participate as a result of security challenges as revealed by KADSIECOM.

The Kaduna State chairman of PDP, Mr Hassan Hyat, on Sunday after the council election in a press statement condemned the high incidences of violence during Saturday’s exercise, alleging that PDP agents were molested.

“Our stalwarts were beaten, molested and even driven away from their duty post during the electoral process.”

He lamented that all the incidents took place in the presence of security agents who according to him chose to look the other way and shirked their responsibility of maintaining peace and tranquillity.

He cited the case of Sanga Local Government where soldiers were deployed by some top functionaries of government.

He said, “We find it most abhorring and dishonourable the conduct of some Returning/Presiding Officers as in Makarfi Local Government who upturned results of Councillorship polls already declared at the Ward level, either by outright cancellation and or making a different declaration from what was made at the ward level.”

Kaduna LG poll records low turnout, faulty electronic voting machines, voter apathy

He alleged that only results of Chairmanship Candidates are officially declared at the Local Government Collation Centres, stressing that the Returning Officer in Kudan Local Government, ran away after the election and surfaced later at the Local Government Collation Centre to declare results that are totally at variance with what was recorded by the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) at Ward level.

The challenge of malfunctioning of machines, according to state PDP chairman were seriously recorded in Limancin Kona Ward, Zaria Local Government Area, where out of 32 Machines only 4 were functioning, adding that in Sabon Sarki Ward, Kachia Local Government Area out of the 12 Machines deployed, only 2 were functional.

In Barnawa Ward in Kaduna South Local Government Area, he noted that the Electronic Voting Machines were found inputted with results placing APC in the lead, saying even before the first ballot was cast, incidents of such nature was also reported in Makarfi and Sanga Local Government Areas of the State.

Hassan Hyat explained that in Kawo Ward, Kaduna North Local Government, there was no voting in five (5) Polling Units, saying that he called on KAD-SIECOM, to urgently do the needful, address issue raised as they all go to the root of the integrity, fairness and outcome of the Elections.

”The Party notes that Governor Nasir Ahmed El-Rufa’i has consistently promised the people of Kaduna State free and fair Local Government Councils Elections through a modernized system of voting, hence his heavy investment in the procurement of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM).

”To Mr Musa Bature, the low turnout of electorates in the last Saturday’s local government election is an indication of the security situation where many people fear of what may befall them.

He noted that killing of people, kidnapping and other social vices that have become the order of the day in the state with nobody saying anything to protect the lives and property of the people.

This he claimed contributed to the low turnout of voters in the last election in the state.

Mr Musa Bature also attributed the nonchalant attitude of politicians towards the people, saying, “Politicians leave people to their fates especially with the insecurity and high cost of living that has become almost impossible for most people to put two square meals a day.

“Most people are seriously not happy with what is happening in the state. The majority of the electorates especially in the rural areas are facing serious challenges of security as many cannot sleep in their homes as a result of the activities of bandits while others are in IDPs following the burning of the houses by suspected Fulani militias. All these have contributed to people’s inability to come out and vote.”

A chieftain of the APC in Kaduna, Mallam Mohammed Isah explained that if steps are not taken by politicians to ensure sanity in the system, electorates will see voting as a total waste of time without politicians fulfilling their promises to the people on the assumption of office.

To Patrick Usman, a chieftain of the APC, however, claimed the outcome of the local government election isn’t a true reflection
of the result shown but believed that the 2023 general elections will definitely defer from the council election in the state.

He said the candidates vying for the election are all indigenes of the area and so, anybody could be elected not minding his or her political party. “The 2023 general elections will definitely show the direction of people politically.”

He added that Nigerians are seriously not pleased with the way and manner most political office holders are treating them, stressing that in 2023, there will be a departure of what the state is experiencing as many electorates will vote for a party that will ensure sanity in the whole system.

“The people of Kaduna state especially Southern Kaduna need peace, they need a leader that will carry the people along in all spheres of life.”



Kaduna LG election: APC leads as indigenes react to the exercise