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From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
Few months ahead of 2023 general elections, the recent victory of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in the local government election in 21 Councils and 225 wards in Kebbi has enlivened the political atmosphere of the state. Apart from winning all the 21 Chairmanship seats, the ruling party also cleared all the 225 wards meant for the Councilors. Sixteen female Councilors emerged among them.
To many political pundits, with the swearing of the Chairmen and Councilors into office, other political parties have been boxed into a tight corner. Critical observers believe that the elected officers are to be additional foot soldiers who would inject more strength and fresh air into the state chapter of the APC.
Though about 17 opposition parties participated in the local government election, they
could not give the ruling party with its powers of incumbency and influence a serious fight. While the ruling party was busy campaigning from one local government to another, the opposition parties, especially PDP Vice-Chairmanship candidates in some local governments at the eleventh hour, were defecting to the APC with their supporters. However, despite the fact that the opposition party did not win a single Councilorship seat, they are still optimistic that the victory of APC at the Council poll could not determine which party would be supported by the electorate during the 2023 general elections.
After the poll, the election results were collated by the Kebbi State Independent Electoral Commission(KESIEC) which declared that the APC has won all the 21 Chairmanship and Councilorship seats of the 225 wards.
In a statement personally signed by the Commission’s Chairman, Alhaji Aliyu Muhammad Mera, he said, “ It is at this juncture therefore, the KESIEC, based on the power conferred onto it by Section 197 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal of Nigeria to organize, supervise and conduct election in the state, that elections was held into the 21 LGAs and 225 electoral wards in the state. Interestingly, 18 Political parties indicated interest to participate in the election. However, 17 participated actively.
“In view of the compilation of the results, which were declared at the wards and local government levels, I wish to announce that All Progressives Congress(APC) has won all the 21 Local Government Chairmanship elections and all the 225 Councillorship election across the state”.
The main opposition party in the state, PDP, had started to derive its political oxygen from the Sokoto State chapter, especially with the influence of the sitting governor, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal. The relationship was to help the Kebbi chapter of the PDP to neutralize the APC political strength in the state.
Governor Tambuwal, who was in Kebbi in consultation with stakeholders on his Presidential ambition, said, “ we want to come earlier on Saturday, but because of local government election, we decided that we should give you time to rest. With what we saw during the election, we are going to support you.
“All the political watchers in the country on Saturday witnessed the political sagacity of the state PDP, which is united. Your vigilance and cohesion in realization of such feat will help the party on the national front. This will attract more people, who are already on the verge of crossing over to PDP. The PDP in Kebbi State is compact and strong. I appeal to you to work together as a family to attract more members from the other side because, I known, there is a lot of trouble in the other house”, he said.
While addressing the elected Chairmen during their swearing-in ceremony, Kebbi State Governor, Senator Abubakar Atiku Bagudu charged them to work harder, listen to the voice of those that did not vote for them, their supporters and ensure they discharge their duties diligently. The governor charged the new chairmen to be hardworking to ensure they deliver dividends of democracy to the grassroots and attract more supporters to the ruling party.
According to him,” the message here as always is to urge all of us, particularly, those who have been sworn in today to remember that, you have been elected, is not by your own making. It is making of others. Despite the facts that your political party sponsored you, Kebbi State recognized you, your respective people at your localities elected you, our constitution demanded that you must be sworn-in. And without this, you cannot be in office. And having been sworn -in, you are expected to take oaths of office. The oaths you have taken, taking you out of the political realm to the mantle of leadership.
“So, please, study the oath of office carefully, show it to your loved ones, supporters, those who want you to succeed so that they can support you in discharging your duties in office. As you are leaving here, work hard on the development of your constituency. Let us listen to the voices of those who did not vote for us. Perhaps, they might have change of minds and therefore support us in future. Let us listen to those that voted for us so that, they can say they didn’t vote in vain. Work hard, work hard,” he said.
Bagudu also counselled those that lost in the election not to give-up or be depressed, stressing that President Muhammad Buhari and former President of Senegal contested three and ninth time respectively, before they eventually won elections. He added that the majority voices in the state were of the opinions that, all the political elites, should be united for the progress of the state, saying that, “no matter how hardworking we were, we cannot finish these works, unless we’re united”, he said.
Similarly, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Chika Malami(SAN) who also voted at his polling unit Filin Maria polling unit in Nasarawa ward 1, Birnin Kebbi urged all the political parties and candidates who contested in the local government election to accept whatever was the outcome of the exercise in good faith.
Malami believed that Kebbi is one and people must not allow issue of politics to create rancour in the state. The Minister noted that the exercise was peaceful, smooth and characterized by the large turn-out of voters and stressed that the people of the state have spoken through their votes and have really exercised their constitutional rights in electing their Council’s leaders.
He said, “we are so happy that the people of the state have indeed come put en-masse, massively to cast their votes to elect their leaders especially Chairmen, Councillors, of respective political parties across the 21 local governments and 225 wards in the state. As you can see, the election has gone smoothly, peacefully as the people came out massively across the 21 local government areas and 225 wards in the state.
“The exercise has been conducted peacefully, smoothly and harmoniously and we thank our people for that. We thank them for coming out massively to choose their leaders smoothly. As you can see, we are enjoying the relative peace in the state regardless of the political parties’ divides; people have casted their votes peacefully. So, what I am saying is that, in the spirit of sportsmanship, whatever the outcome of the election, we should accept it in good faith. That is the essence of democracy. There must be winners and losers. But, regardless of the circumstances, we must accept the results in good faith just as our people came out massively to exercise their rights in chosing their leaders”, he said.
While adjudging the poll as fair and credible, the Coalition of National Election Observers also described the local government elections across the 21 Councils and 225 wards in Kebbi as fair, free, transparent and credible with high turnout of voters.
The National Coordinator of the Observers, Comrade Nuru Sani Lere, told newsmen that his group during the election, monitored many polling units across the Councils, observed that there were large turn-out of electorates especially women who are eager to vote at their respective polling units.
Lere, said: “Let me start by commending the Kebbi State Independent Electoral Commission (KESIEC) for providing enabling environment for the smooth conduct of local government election which gave equal opportunity to 18 political parties to participate in the polls. Based on our visit to monitor and observe the election process across the state, I wish to seize this opportunity to commend all stakeholders particularly the security agencies as well as political parties for the orderly manner in which they conducted themselves during the election.
“It is gratifying to say that the turnout of eligible voters is quite impressive as women and youth came out en-masse to exercise their civic responsibility without any hindrance. In conclusion, we the coalition of National Election Observers adjudged the local government election in Kebbi State as free, fair, transparent and credible with high turnout of voters. We therefore, call on other states to emulate such credible election in Kebbi State “, he said
While speaking with newsmen on the poll, Special Adviser to the governor on Power and Politics, Alhaji Yusuf Haruna Rasheed described the high turn-out of voters as very impressive compared to the past council polls when the electorate did not turn out enmasse. According to him, “ the process of the election went on very well because the voters turned out enmasse. It has been long time we saw a large turnout of electorates like this during the Local Government election. People will be thinking in the past that it is Local government election and it is being conducted by the state government. So, they will feel as if it is not a national election. But, this time around, they turn out en-emasse”.
In his reaction, Alhaji Faruk Musa-Enabo, Personal Assistant to Kebbi State Governor, appealed to winners in the ongoing Local Government elections in the state to treat all manner of people fairly when they assume the mantle of leadership. He said: “I want to appeal to those who emerged as the winners to embrace everybody because they belong to everybody. They should be just, embrace everybody and be fair to all with the fear of God Almighty.”
