LG Election: Security Personnel, Election Officials Held Hostage In Jigawa

At Kiyako ward in Jigawa State’s Birnin Kudu Local Government Area, voters have taken prisoner security personnel and electoral officials.

Around 20 people, including ad-hoc employees and party agents, were hauled up and locked up in a classroom at Kiyako Junior Secondary School over an alleged plot to rig the election.

On the premises of the ward collation center, five police officers and seven vigilante members were also held prisoner.

While speaking to members of the press at a collation center, Babandi Ibrahim Gumel, the state chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), said election officials were held hostage after members of the party gathered at the Kiyako ward collation center to witness the announcement of the results and there was no collation officer to do so.

“As a result, members of the party converged and kept the election officials hostage until what they had voted for was declared.

“We are now waiting for the SIEC official to come and announce the whole result for the polling units of the ward where PDP won almost all the 19 polling units in Kiyako Ward,” he said.

Similar instances, he added, occurred in practically all of the six local government areas where the PDP ran in the election.

As a result, the state’s security services have been asked to make every effort to ensure that the results are tallied and announced, according to the party chairman.

The election officials have been held hostage in a classroom since Saturday at 4:00 p.m., according to a resident of Kiyako named Adamu, who told DAILY POST that they will not be released until the election results are disclosed.

Kiyako ward is a political ward of Alh Sule Lamido, the ex-governor.

The Governor asked the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) to declare anyone who wins the election from any political party, according to a statement signed by Special Adviser to Governor Muhammad Badaru Abubakar on Media and Publicity, Habibu Nuhu Kila.

The message, on the other hand, asked residents of the state to be calm and assured them that the Governor’s guarantee that voters’ rights would not be abused will be kept.

Adamu Ibrahim, the Chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC), also stated that the results would be published soon.