Kano Assembly By-Elections Hold Peacefully With Low Voter Turnout

It was a calm morning in Kano on Saturday as voters slowly made their way to the polls for the Kano State House of Assembly by-elections. The elections are seen as a test for nine political parties, notably the All Progressives Congress (APC), alongside the Accord Party, AAC, ADC, APN, APP, PRP, WPP, and ZLP.

The by-elections were prompted by the sudden deaths of Sarki Aliyu and Aminu Sa’ad, whose seats in the Kano State House of Assembly became vacant after both lawmakers passed away within hours of each other. Many residents in the Ungogo and Kano Municipal constituencies were reportedly unaware of the elections.

Despite the early arrival of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials, voter turnout was low, with only a few citizens present at polling units. At Kankarofi polling station, Audu Musa described the voting process as “smooth and peaceful,” but noted the low turnout.

Security personnel were strategically deployed across polling centers to maintain order and ensure the safety of voters and electoral staff. Alhaji Abdullahi Isa, an election observer, praised the professionalism of security agencies, while INEC officials remained hopeful that more voters would participate later in the day.

Resident Electoral Commissioner, Amb. Abdu Zango, expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the elections, highlighting that the process was peaceful and free of violence. He attributed the low turnout to the holy month of Ramadan and the limited scale of the election, which involved only two constituencies. Zango also noted that parties such as NNPP and PDP could still participate if they met INEC’s requirements.

The Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Bakori, along with members of the Kano State Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), monitored the process closely to ensure a secure and credible election. Zango concluded by emphasizing that the by-elections demonstrated the resilience of democracy in Kano State.