LG Poll: El-Rufai, APC Lose Polling Unit To PDP

• Hoodlums assault electoral officers, snatch EVM in Igabi, Giwa

BY SEGUN ADEBAYO – A shocker came for Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna state as the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won at Unguwan Sarki 01 Polling Unit in Kaduna North Local Government Area where he cast his vote during Saturday’s Local Government election in the state.

Announcing the results following the counting of votes, the Presiding Officer, Muhammad Sani, said of the 159 total votes cast, the PDP polled 86 votes with the APC scoring 62 votes for the chairmanship position.

Interestingly, the votes’ margin further widened in the Councillorship election with the opposition PDP candidate chalking up 100 votes to beat his APC counterpart who could only manage 53 votes in the polling unit.

Speaking after casting his vote, Governor el-Rufai had expressed confidence in the electoral process, urging all parties involved to accept the outcome as it was almost impossible to rig the election.

He said the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) deployed for the poll was an improvement on those used in the 2018 local government elections, where issues of multiple voting were rampant.

However, giving situation reports on the Local Government polls conducted by the Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission (KADSIECOM), its Chairman, Saratu Audu-Dikko, said about 41 Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) were snatched during the exercise.

She also stated that some hoodlums also assaulted Electoral Officers who handled the elections in Igabi and Giwa Local Government Areas of the State.

According to the Commission boss; “Thirty EVMs were carted away at Kwarau in Igabi local government, with two destroyed, while nine others at Panhauya in Giwa local government, were equally vandalised.”

However, arising from security concerns, KADSIECOM had earlier suspended elections at four LGAs of the state. Affected areas are Chikun, Kajuru, Birnin- Gwari, and Zango-Kataf.

It is the second time the el-Rufai-led administration is conducting LG polls in the state. the first was in 2018 when elections were conducted using the electronic voting machine.

With the development, only eligible voters in 19 of the 23 Local Government Areas of the State, were out to exercise their civic responsibilities of electing Council’s Chairmen and Councillors in the elections.

But reports from the field indicate that there was clearly voters’ apathy in most parts of the state during the polls.