APC Wins 17, PDP Four in Kaduna Council Polls

By John Shiklam in Kaduna

The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna State has won 17 of the 23 local government chairmanship and councillor elections which were held last Saturday while the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won in four local government areas.

The results were announced yesterday by the returning officers at the various local government area headquarters.

However, elections were suspended in Kaura and Jaba council areas following an attack on the electoral office in the area last Friday night.

In Kagarko Local Government Area, the APC polled 65,226 to defeat the PDP which got 14,658 votes, as announced by the returning officer, Chinedu Richard.

Also, in Kaduna North, Umar Hayatu was declared the APC winner having polled APC 168,572 while the PDP polled 12,467.

In Zaria Local Government Area, the APC won with 42,859 votes against PDP 16,033 votes

The results from Kubau also showed that APC got 46,535 votes to defeat the PDP which polled 13,898.

Similarly, the APC won in Makarfi Local Government Area, the hometown of the former National Chairman of the PDP, Senator Ahmed Makarfi.

Other councils won by the APC included Jama’a, Soba, Kudan Lere, Ikara, Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Kudan, Igabi, Sabon Gari and Kajuru.

The PDP won Zangon Kataf, Kauru, Kachia and Sanga Local Government Areas.

The results of Chikun and Kaduna South Local Government Areas were yet to be released  at the time of this report.

Meanwhile, the PDP has kicked against the results, alleging that the process was compromised.

The state Chairman of the party, Hassan Hyat, told THISDAY in a telephone interview yesterday that the returning officers were abducted and results were not declared in many polling units.

He said: “I am aware of the results, but as far as we are concerned, the process was completely compromised.

“Yesterday (Saturday) we alerted the world that both wards and local government returning officers were kidnapped. We declared them missing.

“By the electoral law of the state, they are the people who are supposed to announce results at their respective collation centres, and they were nowhere to be seen.”

Hyat also alleged that a senior government official was sighted in Kajuru Local Government Area accompanied by soldiers.

He alleged that government official had a meeting with the returning officers at the local government secretariat.

Hyat asked: “What brought soldiers in a democratic dispensation? Where did the returning officers resurface to announce results that the government is announcing?

“We are aware by the results from our polling units’ agents, the APC did not win Lere, Sabon Gari, Kaduna North, Kaduna South and Kajuru.

“So for them to start listing the local government areas that they never won, then it is the most unfortunate thing that has ever happened.”

PDP state chairmen further noted that “all the returning officers who absconded have not returned to declare results.”

But in a reaction, the state acting Secretary of the APC, Yahaya Baba Pate, dismissed the allegations, insisting that “the election was the freest, fairest and most credible election ever conducted by a state electoral body.”

He said election observers and  voters confirmed the credibility of the elections. 

Pate maintained that “no returning officer was kidnapped,” adding that all results were announced at polling units.

“Results were announced at the ward level in the presence of all party agents. The APC has won in many of the local government areas.

“Collation is still going on, we are still waiting for the remaining results and we are hopeful that the APC will have a good number at the end of the day,” he said.

Related Articles