Kaduna poll: APC, PDP protest as electoral body declares 4 LGs inconclusive
The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are protesting over the declaration of the election of four LGAs inconclusive in the just concluded local government election in Kaduna State.
The State Independent Electoral Commission (KADSIECOM) had on September 4, this year conducted election into 19 out of the 23 LGAs of the state. But election into four LGs was postponed to September 25 due to security reasons.
APC won 14 LGAs out of the 19 as announced by KADSIECOM’s chairperson, Dr. Saratu Dikko-Audu. The main opposition party, PDP clinched the seat of Kaura LGA.
The state electoral body declared the election of Jema’a, Kachia, Soba and Jaba LGAs inconclusive.
The declaration of the inconclusive poll however triggered protests by chieftains of both APC and PDP in the state.
The PDP State Chairman, Hassan Hyet, in an interview with BBC Hausa, said the outcome of the election was not the true picture of what happened at the polling units.
He said the low turnout of voters was a clear sign that the people of the state rejected the ruling party.
He accused the ruling party of manipulating the electronic voting machines, saying most of the e-voting equipment malfunctioned.
Secretary of PDP in Kaduna, Ibrahim Wosono, also claimed that his party won the elections in his LGAs contrary to the claim by the electoral body.
“We won the elections and the electorate know that too so what is left for us now is to seek our victory in court,” he said.
Similarly, Barr. Hamisu Hamza of PDP in Soba LGA, accused the electoral body of bias, claiming that PDP won the poll in Soba.
On his part, the Secretary of APC in the state, Yahaya Baba Pate, said APC won the election in Jaba and Jema’a LGAs.
He said the party will analyse the KADSIECOM stand to claim its victory according to the law of the land.
Similarly, APC chieftains in Jema’a LGA, have staged a protest to the KADSIECOM secretariat over the declaration of the election of their area as inconclusive.
Speaking during the protest, Comrade Sanusi Maikudi, said elections were duly conducted across the wards contrary to claims by KADSIECOM.
He said elections were duly conducted and collated and the results were announced with the winners declared by the duly appointed returning officer.
They gave the electoral body 24 hours to declare their candidate as the winner of the poll.
Meanwhile, the KADSIECOM’s chairman, Dr. Saratu Dikko-Audu, has expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the election.
She said as far as the commission was concerned the election was free and fair.
She advised those who have reservations to approach the election tribunal for redress.
She explained that in Jaba LGA, there were conflicting results because two results were announced at the end of the election.
According to her, the returning officer sent to the LGA was missing for hours until another officer was sent by the commission and later both officers announced separate results.
In Soba and Jaba LGAs, she said the commission will only work with the judgment from the tribunal before it will announce the winners of the elections.