INSIDEPOLITICS One week after, Kaduna LG polls continue to raise dust
The May 12 local government election in Kaduna State, has served to reveal to major political contenders in the state the truth about their perceived areas of strength and weaknesses.
Before the election, the two major political parties in the state, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and their candidates had made certain boasts about how they could easily win the election and most times exaggerating their strength while playing down on the chances of the other party and their candidates.
But as the process of the election commenced, reality began to set in which led to disruptions in few LGS and wards.
As the results of 18 out of the 23 local governments where election have been concluded were announced however, both sides have realized that their projections did not come with pin point accuracy.
But even as the results did not turn out exactly as they parties had predicted, it showed that both parties had an idea about where strength lied and where they could falter.
Before the election, the PDP was sure of clinching all the LGs in the southern senatorial zone of the state as well as some seats in the central zone like Kaduna South, Chikun and Kajuru and two others, Lere and Makarfi in the northern zone.
The APC on other hand was sure of winning all the LGs in the northern and central zone while displacing the PDP in its turf by winning at least four out of the nine local governments like Kagarko, Kachia, Sanga and Kaura.
The PDP lost both Lere and Makarfi in the north and at the same time lost Kaduna North while the results of Kajuru and Kaduna South have nt been declared due to some hitches.
But the party attempted to live up to its boast in the southern zone by winning the four LGs of ZangonKataf, Kachia, Jema’a and Kauru.
The APC on the other hand lost Kachia in the Southern zone, but it is yet to beat its chest that it cleared all the LGS in the central zone as the results of Kajuru, Chikun and Kaduna South are still pending.
The complete result announced by KADSIECOM, showed that the PDP chairmanship candidates won in Zangon Kataf, Kachia, Jema’a and
Kauru local governments while the APC candidates won in Birnin Gwari, Soba, Makarfi, Sanga, Kaduna North, Kubau, Zaria, Giwa, Igabi, Ikara, Kudan, Lere, Sabon Gari and Kagarako local governments.
The results of Kaduna South and Chikun local governments where elections took place were not announced as the process of elections were said not to have been concluded in some of the wards in the LGs.
Elections have also been rescheduled in the three local governments of Kaura, Jaba and Kajuru.
The three local governments are to go into fresh rounds of voting on the 2nd of June, while the two local governments of Chikun and Kaduna South which result have not been announced due to in some of the wards in the LG would also be conducted on the same day.
A breakdown of the performance of the parties according to zones shows that the APC cleared all the LGs in the North senatorial district by winning
Zaria, Sabon Gari,Soba, Lere, Makarfi, Kudan,Ikara and Kubau while in the Cenrtal zone, it won Birnin Gwari , Giwa, Igabi and Kaduna North and in Kaduna South, won Sanga and Kagarko
Senior special assistant on media and publicity to the Kaduna governor on media and publicity, Samuel Aruwan, said the results of the LG elections show that the APC has done well in all the three senatorial districts of Kaduna State.
He said the APC “made a clean sweep of Zone 1, made a dominant showing in Zone 2 and a put up a decent fight in Zone 3.”
He added: “The baseless demonization, persistent blackmail and deliberate misrepresentations perpetrated against Malam Nasir El-Rufai have failed miserably!
“Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai has set the pace and demonstrated political will to take local government election and administration to the next level. He has also strengthened and deepened democratization.
“The beauty of democracy is choice and the options it lay before the populace, but the ultimate oxygen, is the process that ensured votes cast count. Amidst the discordant tunes, what is gratifying is the votes indeed birthed the leadership majority elected.”
The PDP however said it has been shortchanged in the results announced so far in 13 local government areas of the state.
State party chairman, Felix Hyet, said PDP agents have submitted results to the party and that the party will take necessary legal steps to address the matter.
“We will soon make our reports collected from our field agents public. We believe as a party, we will take over power in 2019 because Nigerians have said good bye to APC,” he said.
PDP members believe the result of the LG elections in Kaduna State has given them hope that they can do better in subsequent elections
They contend that if they can post a ‘not-so-poor’ result in an election conducted by a state government agency, then they can do better in an election conducted by a federal government agency.
The Kaduna State chapter of the APC on its part said its victory in the local government elections demonstrates that it is serving the people well.
The APC in a statement, signed by its spokesman Salisu TankoWusono, described the election results as a clear statement by ordinary people that they know when a government is working for them, and that they are conscious enough to repudiate those who play the politics of backward sentiments and those who irresponsibly mobilise around ethnicity and religion.
“The Kaduna APC wishes to express its deep appreciation to the people of Kaduna State for the overwhelming backing our candidates got in the local government elections. We thank those who voted for us, and we express our respect for the choices made by those who voted for other parties.
“The results vividly indicate that the APC is the only party that takes the entire state as its constituency. Our party campaigned everywhere in the state, talking about the projects our government is doing to make life better for our people.
“Our people responded with an emphatic rejection of the shameless politics of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). They said no to the darkness of a party that irresponsibly promotes division as the route to power. The people of Kaduna State have strongly declared that the PDP’s politics of bigotry and divisiveness has no place in the modern politics of Kaduna State,” he stated.
Danjuma Bello Sarki, a PDP member said though the Kaduna LG election did not reflect the wishes of the people, it has given the PDP hope that the party can achieve a lot in future.
He said “there is no amount of manipulation or propaganda that can change the fact that the good people of Kaduna state are no longer at home with the El-Rufai and APC administration.
“Despite propaganda and lies people came out to express their objection to the current party in power and it shows that the PDP can come back in power in 2015.”
But the results also showed that while the APC scored majority of the votes cast in the elections, it was also able to get a spread in all the senatorial zones in the state while the PDP did not have such spread as it was dealt a fatal blow in the north senatorial zone.
The results of the yet to be concluded elections in Kaduna South also showed that the APC has won six while the PDP clinched five wards.
The results of Sabon Gari North and Sabon gari South wards will determine the winner.
Other analysts however say the candidate the PDP brings in the governorship election will also determine to what extent they either consolidate on what they have now or make inroads into the fortresses of the APC.
As both parties review what led to their losing or winning certain local governments, one thing is clear, that both will not rely on their preconceived notions prior to the LG election. Both have awoken to certain realities that are both welcome and not so favourable.