CurrentReport Blog Hajiya Hajara Mohammed, the Chairman of the Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission (KAD-SIECOM), has assured the public that there are no plans to rig the upcoming October 19 council elections in Kaduna State. She urged political parties and their supporters to avoid violence and hate speech before, during, and after the election period.
During a stakeholders’ engagement and sensitization meeting held on Saturday, Mohammed reiterated that the commission is committed to ensuring free, fair, and credible elections. She called on political parties to cooperate with officials during the election process. “There is no plan to rig the election; that is why we have been working tirelessly to ensure a level playing field for all candidates. Our plea to the voting public is for their full cooperation,” she said.
The KAD-SIECOM Chairman also encouraged political parties to accept election outcomes peacefully, emphasizing that there will always be future opportunities to contest again.
The meeting, however, sparked controversy when Barrister Mahmud Lawal Ismail, Chairman of the House Committee on Education, claimed that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would win all 23 local government chairmanships and councilorship positions. This statement led to a protest by opposition parties, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), whose State Chairman, Edward Marshal, called for fair electoral practices and urged supporters to resist such comments.
Marshal emphasized that the PDP stands for truth and justice and expressed confidence in their chances of winning the upcoming election.
