The All Progressives Congress (APC) has emerged victorious in the two state assembly bye-elections held in Kano State on Saturday, securing a clean sweep of the available seats.
In the Kano Municipal Constituency, the APC candidate, Aliyu Nabil Daneji, polled 7,484 votes to defeat his closest rivals and win the seat. The Returning Officer for the constituency, Professor Ibrahim Tajo Siraj, officially announced the result on Sunday, declaring Daneji as the winner and duly elected representative for the Kano State House of Assembly.
Similarly, in the Ungogo Constituency, the APC flagbearer, Aminu Sa’ad Sa’ad, clinched victory after securing 8,975 votes. Professor Ali Tijjani Abdullahi, who served as the Returning Officer for the area, declared Sa’ad winner and returned him elected.
However, the elections were marked by a significant lack of participation from major opposition parties and voters alike. According to reports, key opposition groups including the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) were not on the ballot.
This absence contributed to a general atmosphere of voter apathy during the exercise. The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kano State, Ambassador Abdu Zango, addressed the low turnout while speaking to journalists during monitoring exercises.
“First of all, I think the timing, maybe Ramadan. Second, I think the general feeling that this is a very small election involving only two candidates and very few parties. Nine contestants, I think,” Zango explained.
Despite the low participation, the REC confirmed that the elections were conducted peacefully across all polling units. He commended the citizens for their conduct, noting the absence of violence or security breaches.
“As far as security is concerned, you can see for yourselves, no issue. It’s very unlike Kano. We really want to appreciate and commend citizens that they have behaved responsibly. No violence. No threat whatsoever, visible or even invisible. So we are very happy,” Zango stated.
Addressing the absence of the major opposition parties, the REC clarified that it was not INEC’s role to determine participation, provided legal guidelines were followed. He dismissed any insinuations against the commission, stating that no formal complaints had been received regarding the process.
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