The Kaduna State Government has dismissed allegations by a coalition of the African Democratic Congress and Social Democratic Party that it intended to sabotage Saturday’s bye-elections, describing the claims as “laughable lies.”
AFRIPOST had yesterday reported that the coalition, led by ADC National Vice Chairman (Northwest), Jafaru Sani, accused Governor Uba Sani’s administration of plotting to rig the Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency and state constituency elections in Zaria and Sabon-Gari.
The group claimed the plan involved mass recruitment of thugs, bribery of electoral officials and wholesale vote buying.
Addressing a press conference, Sani alleged that senior officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission were being courted with plots of land, while a former senator was allegedly mobilising funds to buy votes.
The coalition urged INEC to replace allegedly compromised personnel and called on security agencies to resist “being weaponised to subvert the will of the people.”
In response, Kaduna State Government, through Commissioner for Information-designate Ahmed Maiyaki, described the allegations as “baseless, mischievous, and a desperate bid to pre-empt defeat.”
Flanked by Commissioner for Local Government Sadiq Mamman-Lagos, Maiyaki told journalists that the coalition’s “poorly attended rallies” already showed “clear rejection” by voters.
“This is nothing but a face-saving measure by people who already know the outcome of Saturday’s election. We will not sit idly by while political opportunists smear the name of our administration and malign innocent officials with wild, unsubstantiated claims,” Maiyaki said.
He stressed that election conduct is solely INEC’s responsibility and accused the coalition of trying to drag the government into “its own political misery.”
Maiyaki also noted that while the coalition was “crying wolf,” Governor Sani was in Chikun Local Government Area flagging off the construction of the Romi–Karatudu Township Roads.
According to Maiyaki, the administration’s inclusive governance style has brought peace and unity to the state.
“Governor Uba Sani has united Kaduna people and delivered tangible development. These political jobbers are unsettled by his popularity, so they manufacture theatre to distract the public,” he said.