Insecurity: Kaduna Suspends Polls In 4 LGAs

Elections in four Local Government Areas in Kaduna State, Northwest Nigeria have been suspended by the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIECOM) following security threats.

Saratu Dikko, Chairman of the commission, disclosed this at a press conference in Kaduna on Friday, Sept. 4, stating that polls in the affected areas have been rescheduled for Sept. 25.

According to a report by Nigerian Tribune, Dikko said the affected  local Government Areas include Birnin Gwari, Chikun, Kajuru and Zangon Kataf. 

“I have been reliably informed by security architecture within the state that security reports in the state would make it impossible to peacefully conduct the local governing council’s elections in a number of Local Government areas,” she said.

“Consequently, in order to protect lives and property, including those of our election staff and materials, we have had to suspend the election in a number of local government areas and rescheduled the election in these local government areas for a later date.” 

She, however, stated that the commission had put all the necessary machinery in place to conduct a hitch-free and fair election in the remaining 19 LGAs areas of the state.

The state government since the beginning of the week had suspended weekly markets across seven LGAs, including suspension of felling of trees for commercial purposes and a ban on transportation of livestock within and into the state all in a bid to curtail insecurity.