Kaduna Bye-Election: ADC, SDP Accuse APC Of Thuggery, Bribery; Govt Says Allegations Amount To Defeat

By Ayodele Oni

With few hours to the conduct of the bye- election in Kaduna state, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) have cried out over conduct by the All Progressives Congress (APC) which could mark the poll.

The two parties  alleged that the APC-led government has mobilised over 4,000 thugs to sabotage the Saturday bye-election in the state.

They also accused the state government of securing more than ₦5.2billion in funds to influence and disrupt the bye-election.

Addressing a Press Conference in Kaduna on Thursday, the Chairman of ADC, North West, Jafaaru Sani, also

alleged that the thugs, were drawn from within and outside the state.

Jafaaru Sani claimed that the thugs have been positioned at polling units, collation centres, and political hotspots to intimidate voters.

ADC further alleged that individuals with a record of electoral violence are in charge of election operations, and that senior officials in Giwa, Soba, and Zangon Kataf LGAs are plotting attacks on opposition rallies.

This is just as the opposition parties claimed that ₦4.8 billion from Abuja, along with compulsory contributions of ₦30 million from each of the state’s 23 local government councils, is being used to compromise security agencies, bribe electoral officials, and sow chaos during the polls.

The opposition parties urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to be neutral and remove compromised personnel and replace them with neutral staff to protect the credibility of the electoral process.

Reacting to the allegation, the Kaduna state government described ADC and SDP as equally confused bedfellow, who are already aware that the good people of Kaduna State have decisively rejected them.

In statement released by the Commissioner of Information, Ahmed Maiyaki, explained that the opposition, in the face of imminent defeat, they have resorted to concocted tales of “vote-buying” and “thug recruitment” to pre-emptively discredit an election they know they cannot win.

According to Maiyaki, “let it be clear: Kaduna State Government has no hand whatsoever in the conduct of elections.

“That responsibility belongs exclusively to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which is fully capable of defending its processes and integrity.

“We will not sit idly by while political opportunists smear the name of our administration and malign innocent officials with wild, unsubstantiated claims.

” Democracy in Kaduna is alive and thriving — and no amount of theatre from El-Rufai’s political leftovers in ADC will change that.

“We are confident that if good governance is marked by inclusivity, peaceful coexistence, and developmental projects, APC, under the leadership of Governor Uba Sani, will continue to win elections in the state”