By Samuel Ogidan
The credibility of the recently held Kano state local government elections was yesterday questioned by 10 civil society groups, with the verdict that it was not a good representation of democratic process and as such should be cancelled and declared an nullity.
According to a communiqué by the civil society groups, jointly signed by Comrade Victor Onyedikachi, and Comrade Emeh Eleojo in Abuja, the group observed that while the election witnessed high and encouraging turnout of anxious voters which shows seriousness of the voters towards the election it was marred by late arrival or non availability of election materials and personnel.
The local government elections, which were conducted on May 17, 2014, by Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), were won by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The civil society organisations that called for the cancellation of the elections include: African. Initiative for Sustainable and Positive; Righteous Life Initiative; Patriotic Women Foundation; International Noble Initiative Club; Centre for Grassroots Development and Crime Prevention; Global Development Center for Rescue Mission; Center for Strategy Ethics and Value; Building Peace for Democracy; Leadership And Society and Initiative; Ebila Youth Development Initiative for Africa.
The group in its communiqué said: “It is our firm belief that majority of the voters in Kano were unable to exercise their franchise and cast their votes freely and democratically as provided for in the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“The whole exercise was a charade and was not a good representation of democratic process, therefore should be cancelled and declared a nullity.
“The result of this badly conducted elections led to one single party sweeping all the Chairmanship and Councillorship seats, leaving nothing to the eighteen opposition Parties that also participated in the election. This shows the ridiculousness of the entire exercise.
“We, the Civil Society Observer Groups, find it necessary and a duty to bring to the notice of all, in this Country, the fact that this kind of exercise that happened in Kano does not only undermine our democracy but also has the capacity of causing unrest, insecurity and disenfranchisement.”
Reacting to the alleged irregularities, the Director of Press to Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso, Baba Dantiye, said the state government “cannot be blackmailed.”
“By the antecedent of Kano state government under Governor Rabi’u Kwankwaso, we don’t submit or give in to blackmail. We are too serious a government that we don’t allow for distraction,” he said.