LG polls: INEC conduct of election not necessary – Bagudu

Adamu Suleiman, Birnin Kebbi

 

GOVERNOR Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State at the weekend said conducting local government polls for states by the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) is not necessary.

According to the progressive governor” All we need in election process is credibility, transparency, smooth and peaceful conduct where electorates would have right to exercise their franchise by voting the candidates of their choice without any form of threat or intimidation which the SIEC guarantees with competence.”

Bagudu made the remarks in Birnin Kebbi shortly after casting his vote at the Nassarawa ward polling unit 101 in Birni Kebbi localf government while the state councils elections were ongoing.

According to the governor who observed that elections conducted by the INEC were not insulated of litigations and disputes, added that” even the general elections conducted you notice the number of electoral cases that are still in court.”

While commending the smooth conduct of the Kebbi State Independent Electoral Commission organised poll process, Bagudu noted that the prompt arrival of materials and officials were indications that would further herald the confidence of electorates to participate in electoral process in peace.

The governor, however, said elections awareness and voters mobilisation were the responsibilities of not only the electoral umpire but traditional leaders, CSOs, the Media and political parties adding that” all these constitute primary stakeholders in the process in order to record huge turnout smooth conduct of elections .”

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Also speaking after casting his vote at Garkar Gogo polling unit, a Chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Alhaji Sani Dododo said the smooth conduct of the polls was a reflection and product of the pre- election awareness campaign.

Similarly, a front line progressives Chieftain , Alhaji Sani Zauro Hukuma predicted victory for the party just as he applauded the state electoral umpire for the smooth conduct of the polls.

Zauro who attributed the sprawling popularity and support for the ruling APC in the state to the human-oriented strides of Governor Atiku Bagudu added that” we are not in doubt of recording the much expected victory across the 21 LGs in today’s polls”, he remarked.

Hitherto, as collation is reportedly in progress ahead of the official announcement of results, candidates of the opposition PDP had raised alarm that the entire process was not free and fair even as the exercise was on going across the 21 local government areas which witnessed large turn out of voters with appreciable number of women turnout across polling units visited in the state capital.

However, it was gathered that the PDP candidate for Argungu local government chairmanship position , Umar Na’ amore had alleged that the ruling APC refused to allow room for a credible, free, fair and transparent exercise.

Meanwhile, speaking on the sidelines with newsmen on election monitoring mission, the Secretary, Kebbi State Independent Electoral Commission(KESIEC), Yahaya Abubakar Riskuwa has attributed the huge turnout of voters for the local government election exercise to the active involvement of relevant stakeholders in its pre- election sensitization and awareness programme.

Riskuwa explained that KESIEC deliberately engaged CSOs, NOA and other social mobilisation organs for intensive sensitisation drive ahead of the polls.

According to the Commission’ Scribe” we mapped out strategic plan engaging the Kebbi Development Forum, KCC among others who carried out door to door sensitisation exercise”,he disclosed.

Riskuwa who further disclosed that the Commission had transparently designed the process in a manner that eligible voters including political parties(opposition) were given level playing ground to participate without any form of intimidation or threat said the Commission had vowed to conduct a free, fair and credible exercise that would come out with an acceptable elections verdict for the people of Kebbi state.

” And therefore, we decided to allow electoral independence from the polling units to the state level. All results must be declared at every level accordingly and in a transparent manner.

” That is why our office is not besieged by crowd. We don’t want to have anything to do with announcing results”, he added.

In the same vein, Riskuwa commended the security agencies for the smooth and peaceful conduct of he exercise even as he disclosed that materials and officials were timely distributed to respective polling units across the 21 councils.