Residents of Katsina and its environs on Saturday conducted their normal economic activities in spite of the restriction on movements imposed for the conduct of the state local government elections.
The state Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Muhammad Hurdi, had on Friday announced that the restriction would take effect from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the poll.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)reports that the residents went about their normal activities before and after the commencement of the polls in Batagarawa, Kurfi and Dutsin-ma local government areas.
It was observed that people kept moving in their cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles and even donkeys conducting their usual activities.
Security was relaxed in Katsina, Batagarawa and Kurfi with no visible presence of security personnel there.
NAN checks at the office of the State Independent Electoral Commission (KTSIEC), however, revealed that there was a tight security at the premises with armed soldiers, police and Civil Defence operatives guarding the building.
An official of the commission, who pleaded anonymity, told NAN that all election materials had already been moved to local government headquarters for distribution to the various polling centres.
The official, however, said that the election observers were just being issued accredited for their tags and other documents for the exercise.
Six political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Peoples Progressive Alliance (PPA), Social Democratic Party (SDP), the Mega Party (MP) and the Action Congress Party of Nigeria (ACPN) fielded candidates for the election.
Some of the opposition parties in the state, mainly the All Progressives Congress (APC), the National Conscience Party (NCP) and the Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM), are not partaking in the poll.
The APC and the NCP have gone to court, seeking an injunction to stop the election. (NAN)
New Katsina LG chairmen to be inaugurated on Monday,says Shema
Gov. Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State said the chairmen of local governments elected during Saturday's polls would be inaugurated on Monday, to avoid delays in their take-off.
Shema announced this in Dutsin-ma on Saturday while addressing newsmen on the conduct of the exercise.
‘’We will not waste time; we will inaugurate them on Monday as provided by the law, ‘’ he said.
He commended the large turnout of voters throughout the state during the conduct of the exercise, describing it as ``gladdening’’.
Shema also said the poll was peaceful with no report of any violence from parts of the state.
He said that politicking in the state had always been devoid of thuggery because his administration had always discouraged it.
``There is no political thuggery in Katsina State because my administration has since its inception discouraged such act,’’ the governor said.
He urged politicians to eschew political thuggery both during campaign and elections, saying that such trait did not augur well for democracy.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that voting started at 10 a.m. after accreditation of voters which began at 8 a.m.
Gov. Shema cast his vote at Shema ward, Dutsin-ma, his home town amid cheers from party supporters.(NAN)
Shema commends election commission
Gov. Ibrahim Shema of Katsina State has commended the State Independent Electoral Commission (KTSIEC) for conducting a ‘’peaceful, free and fair’’ local government election on Saturday.
Shema made the commendation in Dutsin-ma shortly after casting his ballot at the Shema polling unit in Shema ward.
He said that the commission was very proactive in both the preparations and conduct of the elections, which according to him, led to the success of the exercise.
The governor also said that the commission acted fairly for giving 95 days notice for the polls instead of the 21 days contained in the state’s law.
He said that the gesture was to address complaints earlier raised by the opposition parties about the inadequate number of days allocated for the election.
Shema also said that SIEC slashed fees for nomination forms by 50 per cent to enable the parties to field their candidates for the election.
He, however, expressed regret that APC and PDM did not avail themselves of the gesture as they went ahead and boycotted the election.
‘’Contest in an election is voluntary; nobody can force any political party to partake or opt out of the election; we have given them all the chances to participate,’’ the governor said.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) is boycotting the election and has filed a suit challenging the exercise at a High Court.(NAN)
