Voters Apathy, Late Arrival of Election Materials Mar Jigawa Council Poll
By Tahir Muhammad, Dutse
Local Government Elections in Jigawa State was married with voter apathy and late arrival of election materials in most of the 284 polling units across the state.
In most of the polling units visited by our correspondent, the turnout of voters was very low while voting did not commence on time due to late arrival of election materials.
For example at Kudai Yamma Ward in Dutse LGA, the voting couldn’t hold until after 11.am.
On what causes the late arrival of elections materials, most of JISEC officials decline comment.
The Kudai Ward was amongst the wards that has a popular candidate opposition councillor under the PDP who has mass support.
But in Jahun Local Government Area, election commenced very early in some pooling units, as some residents claimed to have cast their votes as early as 09 am.
Jigawa State Governor, Malam Umar Namadi commended the voters for their turnout and peaceful conduct of the campaign and election exercise, speaking shortly after casting his vote at Imam Hassan Polling Unit, Kafin Hausa local government area.
Governor Namadi who described the conduct of the elections as peaceful, attributed the success as a clear demonstration of the confidence the people of the state have in democracy and the State Independent Electoral Commission.
A former Chairman of Dutse Local Government Area, Hon Abdulaziz Dankofa complained that as at 9:30am, the election materials were not delivered to any polling unit in Madobi and Kudai wards in the local government.
Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Haruna Aliyu Dangyating who cast his vote around 10 am at Dangyating in Miga local government, expressed satisfaction with voters turnout and the preparations made by the Jigawa State Independent Electoral Commission (JISEC).
On his part the state Commissioner for Local Government, Hon Ahmed Maikudi described the election as peaceful and satisfactory.
“Going by the peaceful conduct of the exercise and the candidates field by my party and other parties, I am confident that at the end of the exercise, my party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) will win all the seat of the 27 local government and their councillors in the state” he stated.
The election was stil going on across the 27 local government area of the state as at the time of filing this report.
