Bomba Dauda
PDP in Kaduna State condemned the high incidences of violence.during yesterday”s Local Government elections across the state, which manifested in the molestation of their Agents and Party stalwarts.
According to PDP, “Our stalwarts were beaten, molested and even driven away from their duty post during the electoral process.
“It is worrisome that, all of this took place right in the presence of security agents who chose to look the other way and thus shirked their responsibility of maintaining peace and tranquility in the society. Of particular note is, incidence of this nature preponderantly took place in Sanga Local Government where soldiers were deployed by some top functionaries of Government, unlawfully against public interest and good to sabotage the electoral process.
“You may wish to recall that in 2018, the Local Government Election in many Wards, were marred by incidence of Ward Returning Officers, who failed to report in their Wards, where they were expected to oversee Collation and declaration of duly elected Councillors and record votes cast in favour of various Candidates for the Chairmanship position for mention only.
“We find it most abhorring and dishonourable the conduct of some Returning/Presiding Officers as in Makarfi Local Government who upturned results of Councillorship polls already declared at the Ward level – either by outright cancellation and or making a different declaration from what was made at the Ward level. It is pertinent to point out, that only results of Chairmanship Candidates are officially declared at the Local Government Collation Centres, in likewise manner, a Returning Officer in Kudan Local Government, ran away after election had been concluded at the Ward level, only to surface later at the Local Government Collation Centre to declare results that are totally at variance with what was recorded by electronic Voting Machines (EVM) at Ward level.
“The issue of malfunctioning of Machines, were seriously recorded in Limancin Kona Ward, Zaria Local Government Area, where out of 32 Machines only 4 were functioning, also in Sabon Sarki Ward, Kachia Local Government Area out of the 12 Machines deployed, only 2 were functional. Similarly, in Barnawa Ward in Kaduna South Local Government Area Electronic Voting Machines were found inputted with results placing APC in the lead, even before the first ballot was cast, i.e. APC 186 votes and PDP 18 votes, incidence of this nature were also reported in Makarfi and Sanga Local Government Areas of the State.
“Furthermore, in Kawo Ward, Kaduna North Local Government, there was no voting in five (5) Polling Units. We therefore, call on KAD-SIECOM, to urgently do the needful, address issue raised as they all go to the root of the integrity, fairness and outcome of the Elections.
“The Party notes that H.E Nasir Ahmed El-Rufa’i has consistently promised the people of Kaduna State free and fair Local Government Councils Elections through a modernized system of voting, hence his heavy investment in the procurement of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM).
On this we have no reason to doubt the sincerity of the Governor. However, our reports from all over the State show that his aids changed the names of Polling Unit Officers that were trained with untrained cronies. This led to the non-functioning of the Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) in many Polling Units across the State. This has therefore made nonsense of the Governor’s efforts and brought his promise to public ridicule. H.E Nasir Ahmed El-Rufa’i needs to take a second look at the attitudes and behaviours of his “so-called” trusted aides if he is to regain public confidence in this area.”
