A group called Kaduna Democracy Watch did not like the local government elections that happened in Kaduna State on Saturday.
The group said that the elections were fake and not real.
Isaac Tanko, the group’s leader, said in a statement on Sunday, “We, from Kaduna Democracy Watch, are very upset about what happened on Saturday. They said it was an election, but it was a trick.”
“Nothing like an election happened. It was a joke. The SIECOM Chairman, Hajiya Hajara Mohammed, boldly said the APC won all 23 local governments and 255 ward council seats, but voters were waiting and didn’t get the election materials they needed.
“This is not fair and is disrespectful to the people of Kaduna State and what democracy stands for. It was a set-up to take control by leaders who don’t care about what the people think or want.”
The group believes that Governor Uba Sani should be ashamed because he let this happen.
“What happened on Saturday wasn’t a real election. It was planned cheating. Before it happened, people were saying APC candidates would win no matter what, but we hoped it was just talk. We thought Governor Uba Sani was good, but he’s shown he just wants to stay in power,” Isaac said.
The group also said that Governor Sani’s actions showed he planned this from the start. He chose his party’s chairmanship candidates without letting other members vote fairly.
“The governor knew there wouldn’t be real elections. He made a fake plan and forced people to spend their money on campaigns. SIECOM, supported by the government, charged illegal fees—N2 million for chairmanship candidates and N500,000 for councillorship. They just disqualified many opposition candidates without reason.
“This is like stealing in broad daylight. It’s embarrassing. We will do everything we can legally for those who were cheated and not allowed to vote.”
The group wants the governor to do the right thing and have real elections that everyone can join. They say if he doesn’t, it shows he doesn’t care about the people of Kaduna State and is okay with letting democracy end.