Voter apathy hits Kano assembly by-election

Electoral officials recorded low voter turnout in Saturday’s by-election for two seats in the Kano State House of Assembly, with many polling units seeing minimal participation.

Observations from parts of Ungogo Local Government Area showed election officers waiting for voters as apathy characterised the exercise.

At Ungogo Kudu 1A Polling Unit 028, Presiding Officer Ahmad Mohammad Bello said officials arrived around 8:30 a.m., but only two voters had been accredited and cast ballots by 11:04 a.m., despite over 50 registered voters.

Similarly, at Kera Polling Unit 003, Presiding Officer Sani Kabiru reported that voting began around 8:30 a.m. Out of 804 registered voters, only 19 had voted at the time of reporting. At Panisau 05 Polling Unit 008, Presiding Officer Mercy Aweh said six voters had participated out of 332 registered voters by 10:30 a.m.

A total of 18 candidates from nine political parties are contesting the vacant seats for Ungogo and Kano Municipal Constituency.

The by-election was necessitated by the deaths of the lawmakers representing the constituencies, Aminu Sa’ad and Sarki Aliyu Daneji, who passed away on the same day.