Massive Turnout in Kano APC LG Congress, as Kwankwasiyya Group Boycotts Polls

By Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano

The All Progressives Congress (APC) local government congress in Kano State on Saturday witnessed massive turnout of voters to elect party leaders in the 44 local government areas of the state.

During a visit to some of the local government areas within the municipality, including Gwale, Municipal, Nassarawa, Kumbotso, Dala, Tarauni and Ungogo secretariats of the party, delegates have already converged in preparation to cast their votes for their choice candidates.

Also, it was observed that electoral materials were distributed as early as 8am across the wards, while voting commenced, as early as 9.30am in the areas visited.

Earlier, the Chairman, Kano Local Government Congress Committee, Chief John Agoda, during the distribution of the electoral materials at the party secretariat, said 27 positions are to be contested for in each of the 44 local government areas.

He hailed the APC leaders in the state for conducting themselves in an orderly manner during the exercise.

According to him, “The way you conducted the last ward congress peacefully, you are expected to do the same. You have demonstrated maturity and I’m proud of you and the party headquarters is also proud of you.

Agoda said: “Let us conduct the exercise as one family because our problem is not this congress but how to surmount and defeat the opposition.”

Speaking after monitoring the exercise, the state Commissioner for Information, Mallam Muhammad Garba, told reporters that the party leadership has ensured transparency and open participation of bona fide delegates in the congress.

Garba said: “You must have gone round to see for yourselves. The congress is peaceful, transparent and hitch free. Election materials arrived at the respective local government party secretariats on time.

“We are happy because the exercise was very open, transparent and successful. I commend the party leadership in the state and we are grateful to his excellency for his openness.”

However, it was also observed that Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso’s group, known as Kwankwasiyya, appeared to have boycotted the local government congress over undisclosed reasons.