Opposition Parties Boycott Today's Council Poll In Kaduna

NOtless than 31 opposition political parties announced their boycott of today's Council elections in 23 LGA’S of Kaduna State, citing lack of transparency and insecurity as major threat trailing the conduct of the polls by the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIECOM). Among the opposition parties that withdrew from the Kaduna Council elections include Social Democratic Party (SDP) African Democratic Congress (ADC), Alliance For Democracy (AD), Labour Party (LP), APGA, NUP, APA, GPN, NPC, DPC, NDLP, PPP, DPP and others. Speaking at a press conference in Kaduna under the umbrella of Kaduna Coalition of Political Parties (KCPP) held at the State secretariat of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the chairman of Coalition, Alhaji Umar Ibrahim listed the reasons why the parties will not participate in polls, pointing out that the State Electoral body has decided to abandon INEC criteria for the conduct of elections in the country. Ibrahim highlighted explained that since SIECOM in Kaduna decided not to follow the electoral laws of the Country, it now cle Nmar that the ground to rig the council elections in the state is imminent.

He argued "we will not be part of the already tele-guided SIECOM deliberately refused to make use of the INEC card Reader Machine for authentication of voters during the election".

"They have refused to display the voters register at polling units for voters to confirm their names and eligibility to vote. They refused to display the names of aspi- rants to the public for a minimum period of 10 days in accordance with the extant laws"

Besides, on security concerns in the state, Alhaji Ibrahim remarked that "Kaduna State has had enough of its political violence, it is therefore urgently Imperative that we put the security of lives and properties of our people in high premium."

According to him, " the recent utterances of Governor Nasir El-rufai which placed a bounty on the three senators have exposed them to danger".