PDP wins Sokoto LG election ...observers hail polls as free, fair

From ABUBAKAR IMAM, Sokoto
Posted: Tuesday, July 26, 2011

OPPOSITION parties in Sokoto State have again suffered another blow as the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won all the 23 chairmanship seats in last Saturday local government election.
However, out of the 244 councillors, PDP won 239, Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) and one, while elections in the remaining four wards in Tangaza, Isa and Gada were cancelled for election irregularity.
ACN which was the new party of the former Governor Attahiru Bafarawa has lost even in the former governor's hometown, Bafarawa which is in Isa Local Government also won by PDP.
The Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) managed to secure a counsellorship seat in Karfen Sarki in Gudu Local Government.
The polls were conducted peacefully and orderly in most parts of the state except a few cases of alleged violence.
The results have further consolidated the ruling party's political strength ahead of the state's guber polls coming next year just as the major opposition parties performed far below their ratings.
Declaring the results, the SIEC Chairman, Alhaji Usman Abubakar said the results for the few affected polling units in Sokoto South and Goronyo were not included because of electoral malpractices.
According to him, those affected were Dallatu Primary polling unit in Sokoto south and Shinaka, Boyijo /Bajeka and Kagara in Goronyo local governments respectively
"After conducting a free and fair local government polls, I wish to confirm the results for the Saturday exercise based on the powers conferred on the commission by section 197 in line with the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria," he stated.
Meanwhile, five council chairmen returned to their seats. They are Abdullahi Maigwandu Danjeka, Shagari; Shehu Buda Badau, Bodinga; Bala Kokane, Kebbe; Yusuf Isah Kurdila, Gudu and Abubakar Altine Kyadawa, Gada local governments respectively.
Meanwhile, the Conference of Nigeria Political
Parties (CNPP) and observer groups have described Saturday's local council poll in Sokoto State as free, fair and transparent.
They made their findings and feelings known about the election in various news conferences held in Sokoto yesterday.
Dr Yunusa Tanko, CNPP's Assistant National Secretary General, said: "The CNPP raised a team to monitor the 2011 local government elections in the state based on the request by the state chapter of organisation.
"Generally, the elections were peaceful and orderly. Our team of
observers was across the 23 local governments," Tanko added.
He urged the state government to freely allow the local governments to execute meaningful projects even as he noted the existing cordial relationship between the CNPP and the state government.
Tanko further urged those elected at the third tier of government to hold in trust the mandate given to them by the people to deliver the dividends of democracy accordingly.
In separate interviews, a Second Republic House of Representatives member, Chief Boniface Oha, who was the team leader of the Nigeria Union of Election Observers said the polls conformed with internationally acceptable standards. "The elections also conformed with the nation's Electoral Act and other laws just as it was free, fair and acceptable. The election was largely okay in spite of the negligible problems associated with anything human," Oha added.
In another news conference, the Network of Civil Society Organisations in Nigeria, also maintained that level playing ground was provided for all the 33 political parties in the state which participated in the elections.
Dr Chibuzo Gabriel, its Secretary said: "We commend the state government, SIEC, the security agencies and other stakeholders for ensuring a peaceful atmosphere during the exercise."