Kaduna by-election witnesses low turnout, vote-buying

There was a low turnout in the Kaduna bye-election on Saturday in Sabon-Tasha, Narayi, Maraban Rido in the Chikun Local Government Area of the state as voters shunned the exercise.

Areas which recorded low turnout of voters include Sabon-Tasha, Narayi, and Maraban Rido in Chikun LGA.

However, at Makera, Barnanwa in Kaduna South LGA of the state, there was an impressive turnout of voters where party agents alleged vote-buying.

Meanwhile, accreditation and voting commenced at about 9:15 am at the Kakuri Hausa Gora Street polling unit 0045 and polling unit 0023, also in Kakuri Hausa ward.

Gora is one of the most populated wards in Kakuri, Kaduna South Local Government Area of the state.

Although earlier, there were hiccups at one of the Kakuri Hausa ward polling units as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System malfunctioned, the issue was rectified and voting went on peacefully.

But allegations of vote-buying were recorded at the Barnawa Market Polling Unit.

Party agents alleged that at the polling unit, a vote was bought between N10,000 and N15,000.

Speaking to our correspondent on Saturday, an agent of the Peoples Democratic Party, Veronica Okuna, alleged there was vote-buying at her polling unit.

She said that some party agents paid between N10,000 and N15,000 per voter.

She said, “There is vote-buying going on by APC agents right here (Barnawa Market road polling units) and now.

“I’m not happy at all. I went to Maraban Rido and Narayi, the turnout was not much but here the turnout was much because of vote-buying which wasn’t good for our democracy.

“I wish operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission are here to see things for themselves.

“This our democracy is full of corruption. Imagine a vote being bought for N15,000 per voter.  This is not good for the nation’s democracy.

Yusuf Abubakar, a PDP agent, also corroborated the allegation of vote-buying, “if you look around, we have different agents buying votes from voters.

“The ruling All Progressives Congress party are buying votes from voters between N10,000 and N15,000.

“I have never experienced an election such as this. Very disappointing. I think democracy has come to an end if this should continue.”

However, the APC agent, Aminu Yakubu countered the allegation, saying there was nothing like vote-buying at the polling unit.

He noted that the polling unit was full of the party’s supporters.

“We are not ready or willing to give anybody buying for our candidate to win,” he said while adding that “our supporters are here en mass to cast their votes for our candidate,” he said.

He added that “maybe it’s the PDP that are giving out money for voters to vote for them. They are a drowning party that would hold on to anything to pull the APC down.”

He therefore called on the party (PDP) to join hands with the ruling party to move the nation forward, adding that “we need peace in this country for the much-needed development.”

He also condemned vote-buying, saying that vote-buying was not good for the nation’s fledgling democracy.

Meanwhile, our correspondent who monitored the exercise, observed that men of the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, operatives of the Department of State Services as well as the Federal Road Safety Corps were on the ground to ensure smooth and peaceful conduct of the election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission had fixed Saturday 3, 2024 for the conduct of supplementary elections in 44 constituencies across the country.

The Resident Electoral  Commissioner, Aminu Idris, had said elections would take place in six constituencies covering seven Local Government Areas of Chikun, Igabi, Kaduna South, Kudan, Kachia, Kagarko and Kauru.

Total polling units in the six constituencies are 1,114, with registered voters that have collected PVCs of about 639,914,” he had said.