A group, Kaduna Democracy Watch, has rejected Saturday’s local government elections in Kaduna State.
The group described the LG elections as a sham.
In a statement issued in Kaduna on Sunday by its Coordinator, Isaac Tanko, the group said, “We, the Kaduna Democracy Watch, are disgusted by what took place on Saturday under the false pretense of a local government election.
“Let’s be clear: no election took place. What we saw was a sham — a disgraceful, planned charade where SIECOM Chairman, Hajiya Hajara Mohammed, had the audacity to declare that the APC had won all 23 local governments and 255 ward council seats.
“This shocking announcement was made while voters at polling units across the state waited for election materials that never arrived.
“This shameful act is not just unacceptable, it is an insult to the people of Kaduna State and to the very idea and ideals of democracy. The process was an outright mockery, a power grab by a leadership that has shown it has no respect for the rights or voices of the people.”
According to the group, Governor Uba Sani should hang his head in shame for allowing the betrayal to take place under his watch.
“What happened on Saturday wasn’t an election. It was a preplanned rigging operation. Days before, rumors spread that APC candidates would be declared winners no matter what. We dismissed it as political talk, hoping the governor, whom since his emergence as Governor is being applauded as a democrat and a reformer. We were wrong. Governor Uba Sani has shown his true self— a man willing to crush democracy to stay in power, ” the Coordinator explained.
The group noted that from the onset, Governor Sani’s actions hinted at what was to come, saying that he handpicked his party’s chairmanship candidates without letting members of the party participate in free and fair primaries.
“The governor knew there wouldn’t be real elections, but he still pushed out a fake timetable, forcing people to spend their hard-earned money on campaigns, worse still, he added that SIECOM, which is supposed to be funded by the government, charged illegal fees —N2 million for chairmanship candidates and N500,000 for councillorship — then disqualified many opposition candidates without proper cause.
“This is daylight robbery. This is shameful. We will not stand by and watch this happen. We will explore every legal means on behalf of all those who were extorted, shortchanged, and disenfranchised.”
The group demanded that the governor should tow the path of honor and organize a proper election that is free and fair for all parties to participate in, stressing that anything less will prove that he has no regard for the people of Kaduna State and that he’s willing to let democracy die under his watch.