LG Elections: Kaduna, Kogi Head To Poll As Plateau Holds Rerun

Residents of Kaduna and Kogi States are all set to vote and elect their new Local Government Chairmen and Councillors as voters matched to their polling units on Saturday to exercise their franchise. This was contained in a press statement issued by both state electoral commissions confirming the Local Government Councils election. The elections, however, are not without controversy, particularly in Kaduna where tensions have escalated following comments by Governor Uba Sani.

In Kaduna, the Commissioner for Public Affairs and Information, Professor Joseph Gambo, revealed that 79 chairmanship candidates from 10 political parties, including the APGA, APC, PDP, NNPP, PRP, LP, YPP, ADC, ZLP, and AA, are participating in the elections. However, the opposition, particularly the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has raised concerns over the integrity of the process. Governor Sani, of the ruling APC had confidently said during a campaign at Murtala Square that his party would win all contested positions, a remark that has heightened tensions among political parties.



In response, the PDP and other opposition groups have alleged that the Kaduna State House of Assembly attempted to amend the electoral law to favour the ruling party, a charge the APC has strongly denied. Meanwhile, in Kogi State, authorities have imposed a restriction on vehicular movement from 7 a.m.

to 4 p.m. to ensure a smooth election process.

The State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, emphasized that security agencies have been instructed to enforce the restriction, with penalties in place for violators. The government has urged voters to participate actively, assuring them of security at polling stations. However, the is holding rerun elections for councillorship positions in nine wards across six Local Government Areas of the state.

These reruns follow irregularities in last Wednesday’s Local Government elections. Voting in 112 polling units will take place from 8 a.m.

to 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 19.

However, the APC has called for a boycott, accusing the government of undermining democratic principles. As the polls open, the spotlight remains on whether these elections will proceed without further controversies..