Investigations by the team of our reporters indicates that the Re-schedule local government elections in Kaura and Chikun local government areas could not hold due to non appearance of the electoral officers at the polling units.
While elections could not go on in Kaura as a result of non availability of electoral officers, Chikun local government election could not hold due to stolen of the electronic voting machines, allegedly by the Federal lawmaker, Mohammed Mamadi and a State Assembly lawmaker, Markus Yari, though he denied involvement in the disappearance of the machines.
Though, the two lawmakers were apprehended by the youth, it took the intervention of the security agencies to whisk them away from angry youths.
In Jaba local government area, the election went on without the Wards returning officers that shod collate and announce winners of the elections. They were still not available to collate result from pulling units as at 10:pm, Wednesday.
Meanwhile, there was tension in Kaura local government when residents storm the office of the electoral umpire demonstrating over the non arrival of the local government returning officer for onward distribution of election materials to various wards cut across the LG.
Our reporter who was at the electoral commission’s office, observed that at about 4:08pm the office was still locked and election materials were intact without any distribution for conduct of the elections.
“Security agencies both soldiers and mobile Police were stationed to manned the electoral office.
The APC bigwigs in the Local Goverment including the Kduna deputy Governor could not be seen for comments as regards the delay over the conduct of the election.
Also, One of the Journalist who place a called to the Sole administrator of the LG refused to disclosed his whereabout.
While at the commission’s office in Kaura, an APC member who pleaded animosity disclosed that, the Kaduna deputy Governor has gone into hiding somewhere in Kafanchan.
Fielding questions from a group of Journalists in Kaura, the Senator representing Southern Kaduna Zone said that “the PDP will continue to conduct themselves but will resist any form of hypocrisy.
“We’ll vehemently resist any form of hypocrisy, but we have advise our people to be law abiding and ensure they wait at the commission’s office to avoid any form of manipulation.
“I was aware that the wards returning officers arrived since yesterday but refused to show-up at the Kadsiecom office of the LG but were hidding somewhere around,” Laah disclosed.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) also said no election in Chikun and Kaura LGAs, while stressing that returning officers for Jaba and Kaduna South have absconded.
The party expressed this in a statement signed by its Kaduna State Publicity Secretary, Abraham Alberah Catoh, made available on Wednesday.
“Once again history is repeating itself in the Re-run and bye elections into the Local Government Councils in Kaduna State.
” Elections have been concluded, peacefully in Jaba and Kaduna South Local Government Areas ,but the Returning Officers have disappeared again. Information reaching us is that the Returning Officers of Kaura and Jaba Local Government Areas are together with the State Deputy Governor ,Arc. Bala Bantex at a Hotel in Kafanchan .
“We have intimated the KAD-SIECOM Chairman, but are awaiting their response.
“The Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP), wish to let the general public Know that the APC – led government was never prepared for a free and fair Local Government elections.
“Therefore ,the PDP is demanding on the SIECOM to prosecute the erring Returning Officers so as to serve as a deterrent to others.
“Meanwhile, no elections took place in Kaura and Chikun Local Government Areas.
“We call on all our supporters to always remain calm and law abiding, as they have exhibited thus far.
“They can only steal our mandates, temporarily, but our resolve is intact; we have a date with history ,come 2019!
“We wish and pray for a better Nigerian society that would guarantee the free expression of choice by the Nigerian peoples through the ballot, ” the statement said.
