Low turn out greets Kaduna LG Elections

Voters on queue to vote at a polling unit in the city centre

Delay in the arrival of voter officials and materials as well as voter apathy adversely affected the just concluded Kaduna Local Government elections.

Cubinks' team of reporters, gathered that within the city centre most polling units did not commence voting until about 1:00pm. Voters who spoke to our Correspondent blamed the poor turn out on poor publicity of the voting process, leaving significant information shrouded in secrecy.

Some of the challenges encountered by voters and officials, according to party agents include delay in activating the electronic voter machines, absence of displayed register for voters.

Fundamentally however, remarked Kalu Ndukwe a Supervisor of one of the parties at Barnawa Clinic polling unit: "the processes is unlike the conventional elections, there is no secrecy in the ballot. Some ignorant voters are even being asked which party they want to vote and could be easily misguided.

"At the Federal Housing polling unit in Barnawa, elections closed with only 111 of the 500 registered voters, voting. What is most worrisome is that the ballot papers counted do not indicate which party the voters have voted for" he said.

Another agent speculated that already some chairmanship candidates have already been given official vehicles and security aides as they are already sure to win the day.

In suburban areas like Kafanchan in Jema'a, elections commenced at about 11:00am as voters defied the down pour to exercise their franchise, unlike Jaba and Kaura local government areas where unconfirmed reports indicate that elections never held for no tangible reason. The conduct of the elections have so far been peaceful and free of rancour but voters called for a rethink of the electronic voting process, which in their opinion leaves much to be desired when compared to the card reader.

All efforts by Cubinks to get the reactions of the Chairperson of the Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission (KADSIECOM) failed. As at the time of going to press the results of the election were being collated.

Comments

TRIBUTE: Dr Bala Takaya 1930 - 2018

Bala John Takaya (2nd Left) at a function recently By Nasiru Jagaba Again, with rude shock, death has come upon us in the early hours of Sunday, 27th May, 2018. It is with deepest regret that the Middle Belt Youth Wing of Middle Belt Forum mourns the death of our President, Father, Mentor, and a tireless advocate of equity, fairness and justice, Dr Bala John Takaya, the President of Middle Belt Forum has silently closed the door of life and departed from us, never to return. 68 years old Takaya, an unparalleled University Senior Lecturer, a distinct politician who served as the Secretary to State Government of the old Gongola State, a member of the 1987 Political Bureau. On the fight to restore democratic system of governance, he worked hand in hand with Chief Solomon Lar. Also, in 1999 he was the governorship candidate of the All People’s Party, APP later ANPP. He is much esteemed in the community of Middle Belt and generally recognized as on...

Coalition urges COP-27 to fast track advocacy against Climate Change

Participants in a group photograph after the event in Kaduna By EDDY OCHIGBO, A coalition of environmental organizations in Kaduna, under the aegis Extinction Rebellion (XR) - a global movement which seeks to persuade governments to act justly on climate change and ecological emergency - has hosted a pre-COP27, in partnership with Bridge-that-Gap Initiative, to galvanize the campaign against climate change, as the the 27th Conference of Parties slated for Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt kicks off. In an exclusive interview with NATIONAL ACCORD, one the coordinators of the event in Kaduna metropolis, Mr Zinta Akpoko, revealed that COP27, Egypt could become a turning point of the campaign, given that forerunners of the conference have since pledged to relentlessly push to prioritize climate financing for developing nations. "The effect of climate change is very evident and we need to be very frank by telling the truth about the inherent dangers tha...

Kaduna's 'Comprehensive Urban Renewal Programme'

A comprehensive roads-repairs-and-rehabilitation programme has reached an advanced stage to address the worrisome condition of urban and sub-urban roads in Kaduna state, as part of a renewed and systematic approach of the Kaduna State Roads Agency (KADRA) to deliver dividends of democracy. KADRA’s Managing Director, Engr Lawal Mohammed Magaji who made this known in his office, in a chat with correspondents and leading members of the civil society who paid him a courtesy visit to be abreast of operations and the workings of KADRA revealed that the agency has bought into Commitment 2 of the Open Government Partnership (OGP), of the Governor el-Rufai-led administration, which has to do with openness and transparency. “ I am very delighted by your visit. I used to have a wrong impression of some civil society organizations. Initially I thought civil societies were there to confront government and fine fault where there is none. I now think differently, especially given ...

Outcry over a Woman's Inhumanity

DANGWA DANJUMA F ollowing intense investigation and reports by BREKETE FAMILY a flagship radio programme on Human Rights Radio and Television station focusing on human rights abuse, on how Deborah Babaji Longs, a personal assistant to Mrs Mariam Ahmodu Ali, spent three days in a dog’s cage without food or water, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command has arrested the wife of former People’s Democratic Party National Chairman and Senator of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Col. Ahmodu Ali (rtd). The story of Deborah Babaji Longs, who worked as Mariam’s personal assistant, featured on Human Rights Radio and Television aka ‘Berekete Family’ on Saturday March 26, 2022 following a report of her alleged imprisonment by Mariam Ahmodu Ali. Narrating her ordeal, Deborah told Brekete Family under oath that Col. Ahmodou Ali, his two daughters and a son-inlaw witnessed the life threatening humiliation and blows meted out to her by Mrs Ali in the middle of their living room in their Abu...

Fiscal responsibility: Kaduna State's debt burden and unrealistic budgeting

By YUSUF ISHAKU GOJE T he budget is said to be the second most important document outside the constitution, without which even the constitution cannot fully function. It enables governments to turn campaign promises articulated as policies into concrete public services that seek to improve the overall living standard of the people. That is why it remains the most critical socio-economic policy tool that outlines the government's priorities in financial terms. The extent to which the government's proposed spending sticks to what it has projected as realistic revenue makes a budget credible. Therefore, it also becomes a measurement of government's sincerity and capacity to deliver on campaign promises. More importantly, the credibility of any budget depends on its realism, as you cannot spend what you cannot get. That means for a budget to be realistic it has to be substantially achievable. However, politicians are always under pressure to spend more, most times overshooting ...

Cubinks NEWS

Search This Blog