Kaduna former Speaker, PDP candidate win in Kaduna bye-election

Former Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Yusuf Liman, has been declared as the winner of Saturday’s bye-election for the Makera state Constituency by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared the former speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Yusuf Liman, as the winner of Saturday’s bye-election for the Makera state constituency.

Liman, who’s the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, polled 18,068 votes to defeat his opponent and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Solomon Katuka, who scored 17,404 to come second, while Usman Yakuti of the Labour Party, got 3,709 votes.

The INEC conducted the Election in five polling units in the Makera constituency comprising Kakuri Hausa, Television, Kakuri Gwari, Barnawa 1 and 2.

The INEC also declared Nura Abubakar of the PDP as the winner of the election for the Kudan State constituency in Kaduna State with a total of 24,178 votes to defeat the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Abbas Faisal, who scored 22,438 votes, while the Labour Party candidate, Suleiman Umar came third with 1,491 votes.

Similarly, Hussein Jallo of the PDP won the Igabi Federal Constituency bye-election, scoring 47,313 votes to defeat Zyyad Ibrahim of the APC, who polled 43,915 votes.

In the Chikun state constituency, the INEC declared the APC’s candidate, David Jesse, the winner with 18,566 votes, defeating Maria Dogo, who polled 10,903 votes, while the Labour Party candidate, Solomon Adamu, scored 3,285 votes to finish third.

The result was announced by the returning officer, Prof. Isah Bayero of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

As of the time of filing this report, more results were expected to be announced by the INEC in the state.

Meanwhile, the bye-election was characterised by low turnout, vote-buying, and ballot box snatching.

There was a low turnout of voters in Sabon-Tasha, Narayi, and Maraban Rido in Chikun LGA, while there was an impressive turnout of voters amidst allegations of vote-buying.

Allegations of vote-buying rented the air at the Barnawa Market Polling Unit, where a vote allegedly went for between N10,000 and N15,000.

An agent of the Peoples Democratic Party, Veronica Okuna, told The PUNCH that APC agents pay between N10,000 and N15,000 per voter.

“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,” she said.

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

“Maybe it’s the PDP that are giving out money for voters to vote for them. They are drowning as a party that would hold on to anything to pull the APC down,” he said.