LG Poll: Even If You Appoint el-Rufai as Returning Officer In Jaba, PDP Will Still Win – Gaiya

BY AMOS TAUNA, KADUNA – Following the cancellation of the May 12 council election in some local government areas of Kaduna State, a former House of Representatives member of Zangon Kataf/Jaba Federal Constituency, Godfrey Gaiya, on Thursday declared that even if Governor Nasir Ahmad el-Rufai is made the Returning Officer for the rescheduled council poll in Jaba Local Government Area, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will still win.
Dismissing fears in some quarters that the PDP may not carry the day if the poll is repeated, Gaiya vowed that if the council poll is repeated 10 times in Jaba, the PDP will carry the day.
Speaking on the cancellation of the council poll in Jaba, the former legislator reminded the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government in the state that the entire Southern Kaduna was a PDP dominated area. He noted that his party is aware of the glaring rigging by the APC in Sanga and Kagarko local councils in order to upturn the results.
“I want to let el-Rufai know that even if he is made the returning officer by SIECOM for Jaba Local Government Area, the PDP will still carry the day.
“I want to also assure that even if the whole of APC in Kaduna State move its machinery to Jaba, they cannot conquer the PDP,” he assured.
Gaiya explained that the election was conducted peacefully in the area on May 12, just only for the ruling APC to instigate the governor by lying to him that there was crisis in the area.
The member representing Jaba constituency in the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Hon Obadiah Bako, said as a representative of the constituency in the area, he went round the area and discovered that council poll was conducted in virtually all the wards, except in Sabchem ward where some APC youth snatched some boxes, but were apprehended and taken to the police. He explained that it was a surprise to him only to hear that elections were cancelled in Jaba.
The state lawmaker maintained that the Jaba people are peace-loving, alleging that what the APC did was to cause crisis in order to pave way for them to capture the area.
“I want to clearly state here that the cancellation of the May 12 election is blessing as some of the electorates could not cast their votes due to the heavy rainfall,” he added.
The legislator said PDP won in Jaba because, according to him, they have the result at hand.
In his submission, the PDP candidate, Mr. Philip Gwada, revealed that they have already done a  thorough campaign, knowing full well that they would win the election.
He alleged that it was APC’s deliberate game plan to win by all means, adding, “I still want to let the APC know that as it is in Jaba, except they will apply magic which has not been known”.