Tension in Hadejia, Malam-Madori over LG polls
A day after the local government election in the 27 local government areas of the Jigawa State, the State Independent Electoral Commission (JISIEC) was yet to announce the result of the election in Hadejia and Malam Madori LGAs believed to be the strongholds of the All Progressive Congress (APC).
Results of the election monitored from Radio Jigawa showed that the PDP won in 25 local government areas but at the time of going to press the electoral body did not announce the result of Hadejia and Malam-Madori.
Trouble started early Saturday when youths in Hadejia allegedly resisted the attempt to snatch ballot boxes by PDP thugs. One of the leaders of the APC in Hadeia and former state chairman of the CPC, Malam Danazumi Gwgarmaya, accused the PDP thugs of snatching four ballot boxes at Atafi ward, three at Masaro, three at Kasuwar Kofa, one at yankoli, and 11 at yayari while election did not take place at Dubantu ward. He said the same illegality was perpetrated in Malam-Madori local government.
Throughout Saturday and yesterday youths in hundreds massed around the emir’s palace pleading with him to intervene. Some of them barricaded the electoral commission office in Hadeijia while the returning officer was said to be in hiding. The youths carried a coffin symbolizing the death of the PDP in Hadeijia and MalamMadori while chanting’ bamayi’ sai APC.
But the state PDP chairman, Alhaji Mahmuda Salisu Kuit, who is also from Hadeijia emirate, said the PDP has more than 80 percent control in Hadeijia and can’t resort to ballot snatching to win election.
At the time of filling this report, journalists who gathered at the JISIEC for the official announcement of the results were told that the announcement had been postponed.