Controversy has trailed the just concluded Kebbi state local govt election as the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has alleged votes buying, late arrival of sensitive election materials on Saturday on February the 5th 2022.
Meanwhile, Kebbi state Independent election commission, KSIEC, and the Ruling APC have debunked the allegations saying the LG polls were peaceful polls across the 21 local governments in Kebbi state.
However, reports from other local councils indicated that, the polls were relatively peaceful except in Mungadi a town under Suru local government where it was reported that, there were slight clashes between supporters of the opposition peoples democratic party, PDP, when some thugs allegedly sponsored by the ruling party APC, made away with the ballot box.
At Gwandangaji ward, a suburb of Birnin Kebbi, polls began around 9am due to late arrival of sensitive materials, the ward chairman of the PDP Mande Umar Gwadangaji raised the alarm that, materials sent by the state electoral body were incomplete
“they first brought only two booklets of ballot papers which we rejected they added some and asked us to wait for the remaining ones”, he said.
Umar alleged that, APC stalwarts were seen openly buying votes to seduce or change the mindset of voters, he confirmed that his party will not get justice at the end of the day.
While at Malami’s polling unit named filing mariya shiyar fada in Birnin Kebbi KSIEC officials arrived the polling unit at about 1pm after voters came since 8am one of the voters Bello Namaka told the press that, they did called the officials to bring materials but didnt turn up till 1pm.
By 2pm the minister of justice and attorney general of the federation Abubakar Chika Malami arrived the pollig to cast his vote, shortly after casting his vote, Malami addressed the press where he urged people of the state to be peaceful and to the aspirants he admonished them to accept the outcome as an act of God.
At Sarkin zabarmawa polling units in Nassarawa 1 ward a former councilor Umar Auwal was alleged by PDP, to have been seen giving money to mostly female voters, but denied it, when asked by newsmen, saying it was a mere allegations of the opposition because they know they wont win elections. He described the turn out as impressive and the election peaceful.
Barrister Aminu a voter stated that he arrived his polling unit alongside other voters at 7:30am which is Sarkin Fawa polling unit but sensitive materials didn’t arrive till 10am when they did, it was incomplete, it was after calls where made to state chairman KSIEC he later retrieved the ones earlier supplied and later returned them complete.
He accused the electoral body of planning to rig the polls since they have the list of polling units and the numbers of voters so why delaying and under supplying sensitive materials, he queried.
At Nagari college polling unit officials of KSIEC around 1:30pm were seen sitting alongside security agents as many voters have casted their votes, waiting for voting process to close.
At the governor’s polling unit, Garkar mai alelu armed thugs allegedly made away with ballot box and attempted to take hostage PDP agents deployed there by their party but were rescued by some voters who returned after running for safety.
Recall that, on Friday supporters of the opposition PDP held a protest at KSIEC office in Birnin Kebbi demanding reason for excluding them from participating in the local councils polls in the state, the state electoral body had on 7th of February 2022 sent a letter to the State chairman of PDP informing him that his party will not partake in the polls for submitting a certain form late and that, the running mate of the party’s chairmanship had defected to the ruling APC.
Responding on behalf of his party Alhaji Usman Bello Suru who led hundreds of their supporters challenged them to produce letter of defection from the vice chairman, he further told them only court of competent jurisdiction can stop a registered party from participating in an election not KSIEC.
The chairman of KSIEC Aliyu Mera later addressed them where he gave them the go ahead to partake in the election.
Meanwhile elections results are being collated before winners will be announced by KSIEC.
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