By-elections: Kano REC links low turnout of voters to Ramadan

From Desmond Mgboh. Kano

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has linked the low turnout of voters in yesterday’s by-election exercise in Kano State to ongoing Muslim Ramadan and the perception that the exercise involved only a few candidates.

Kano State INECs Resident Electoral Commissioner, Abdu Zango, disclosed this while addressing newsmen during the on-the-spot assessment of the elections in Kano Municipal area of the state.

Zango, who explained that several factors were responsible for the low turnout of voters in the state, said; “First of all, I think the timing. Maybe Ramadan. Second, I think the general feeling is that this is a very small election involving only few candidates, ery few parties. Nine contestants, I think,” he said.

Reacting to the questions on why the opposition parties did not participate in the elections, Zango noted that participating in elections is entirely the responsibility of the parties.

He added: “We don’t decide who participates. Whoever does primary, sends his candidate, uploads it, if you like, and satisfies all the necessary guidelines as contained in the Electoral Act, is a candidate.

“So that decision is for the parties. And I think it’s the parties that will answer that question for you,” Zango stated.

He remarked that the election has been peaceful and violence-free across the affected constituencies and lauded the residents of the state for the peaceful conduct of the exercise.