- Hajara Mohammed, the chairwoman of the Kaduna State Electoral Independent Commission (SEICOM), declared that the All Progressives Congress (APC) won all 23 local government chairmanship seats and 255 councillorship positions
- Consequently, Isaac Tanko, Coordinator of Kaduna Democracy Watch, accused the government of orchestrating an election that was preplanned to ensure APC’s victory, stating that voters were left waiting for election materials that never arrived
- Kaduna Democracy Watch urged Governor Sani to organise a fair election process that allows all parties to participate, warning that failure to do so would signify a disregard for the electorate
A group has condemned the conduct of local government elections in Kaduna State after the ruling party, All Progressives Congress (APC) won all the seats.
The group, Kaduna Democracy Watch, reacted to this via a statement issued on Sunday, October 20, following the announcement of the results.
The results were revealed by Hajara Mohammed, Chairwoman of the Kaduna State Electoral Independent Commission (SEICOM), on the evening of Saturday, October 19, who confirmed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) won all 23 local government chairmanship seats and 255 councillorship positions across the state.
“By the power vested on the Commission, I hereby wish to confirm the result earlier collected and returned by the returning officers. I am confirming these results as follows; APC won the 23 local government Chairmanship positions and the 255 wards councillorship positions across the State,” Mohammed stated.
Consequently, the Coordinator of Kaduna Democracy Watch, Isaac Tanko, expressed the group's disgust at the electoral process.
Tanko criticises Governor Sani for betrayal of democracy
The statement read, “We, the Kaduna Democracy Watch, are disgusted by what took place on Saturday under the false pretense of a local government election.
“Let’s be clear: no election took place. What we saw was a sham — a disgraceful, planned charade where SIECOM Chairman, Hajiya Hajara Mohammed, had the audacity to declare that the APC had won all 23 local governments and 255 ward council seats.
“This shocking announcement was made while voters at polling units across the state waited for election materials that never arrived,” the Group noted.
Tanko criticised Governor Uba Sani for allowing what they perceived as a betrayal of democratic principles under his administration. He pointed out that the governor's actions, including handpicking party chairmanship candidates without fair primaries, foreshadowed the controversial election outcomes.
Group denounces elections as preplanned rigging operation
“This shameful act is not just unacceptable, it is an insult to the people of Kaduna State and to the very idea and ideals of democracy. The process was an outright mockery, a power grab by a leadership that has shown it has no respect for the rights or voices of the people.”
“What happened on Saturday wasn’t an election. It was a preplanned rigging operation. Days before, rumors spread that APC candidates would be declared winners no matter what. We dismissed it as political talk, hoping the governor, whom since his emergence as Governor is being applauded as a democrat and a reformer. We were wrong. Governor Uba Sani has shown his true self— a man willing to crush democracy to stay in power, ” the Group stated.
The group called on Governor Sani to act honourably by organising a legitimate election that allows all parties to participate fairly. They warned that failure to do so would indicate his disregard for the people of Kaduna State and jeopardise the future of democracy in the region.
“The governor knew there wouldn’t be real elections, but he still pushed out a fake timetable, forcing people to spend their hard-earned money on campaigns, worse still, he added that SIECOM, which is supposed to be funded by the government, charged illegal fees —N2 million for chairmanship candidates and N500,000 for councillorship — then disqualified many opposition candidates without proper cause.
“This is daylight robbery. This is shameful. We will not stand by and watch this happen. We will explore every legal means on behalf of all those who were extorted, shortchanged, and disenfranchised,” the group added.
Wike criticises Jonathan's lack of support amidst local government election tensions
Meanwhile, TheRadar earlier reported that amidst the local government elections, the Action People’s Party dominated results, raising questions about political alliances and future governance.
In a candid political discussion, former governor of Rivers State and incumbent Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, voiced his frustrations regarding the lack of support from his political ally, Jonathan.