The results of Saturday’s local government election in Niger State have been disputed by opposition parties and voters, who claim that there were numerous irregularities, disenfranchisement, and manipulation in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Reports from all 25 local government areas showed that electoral officials and supplies were either completely absent or arrived late at polling places.
The Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC) and the ruling party are yet to responded to accusations made by opposition parties that they conspired with the APC to reduce voter turnout and rig the results.
Governor’s convoy attacked in Bida
At the time of publication, official results were still being compiled, although the APC seemed to be leading both the chairmanship and councillorship contests by significant percentages. However, voters in Suleja, Wushishi, Lavun, and a number of other LGAs staged protests, claiming that security personnel had intimidated them and tampered with the results.
Meanwhile, Governor Umar Bago’s convoy was attacked on Sunday by furious teenagers in his hometown of Bida. A number of people, including Abubakar Mustapha, Chairman of the New Niger Development Project and one of the governor’s personal aides, were reportedly hurt as the mob threw stones at cars.
According to sources who spoke to Daily Trust, the disturbance came after an unsuccessful cash-sharing initiative that was purportedly planned by the governor before to the elections. Outrage was allegedly sparked when Bago gave money to just a small number of the hundreds of people that gathered at his home.
Reports further revealed that the attackers vandalised multiple cars and demolished the governor’s billboards. The assault occurred two days after a stampede at a comparable event in Bida, where multiple people were hurt and a teenage girl was apparently killed. Some ladies were claimed to have faced domestic penalties after attending the event without their husbands’ agreement.
Several calls put across to the Chief Press Secretary went unanswered. Similarly, calls to the Special Adviser to the governor on Communication Strategy, Jonathan Vatsa, were not answered.
In a similar event, Yusuf Kure Baraje, a member of the House of Representatives for the Bosso/Paikoro Federal Constituency, was suspended by the Niger State APC for allegedly engaging in anti-party behaviour during the council elections.
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