Kehinde Fajobi
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Kaduna State has criticised the October 19 council elections, describing them as an “electoral robbery” against the people.
Rev. Caleb Ma’aji, the state chairman of CAN, expressed disappointment over the election process, noting that citizens were denied the opportunity to vote despite waiting all day.
“Reports from our officials in various local government areas indicated that people waited for materials to vote, but all in vain after spending the whole day waiting for KADSIECOM officials. The commission later announced the winners of chairmen and councillors without providing the number of votes for each candidate,” Rev. Ma’aji said.
He added that the people of Kaduna were beginning to believe that Governor Uba Sani was working to involve the citizens in governance, but the manner in which the council polls were conducted has raised serious concerns.
Rev. Ma’aji called on the governor and the Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission to ensure that the votes of all eligible voters are counted, stating that winners should be announced “irrespective of their political parties.”
“The international best practices and rule of law in democratic processes should not only be upheld but visibly done in a modern society like ours,” he emphasised.
He urged Christian faithful to remain calm, expressing hope that the election irregularities would be addressed.
The CAN chairman also called on Governor Uba Sani to stand by his promise of fairness, warning that the election mishap could tarnish his reputation.
“The avoidable challenges should be addressed for the unity, peace, and progress of the state,” he said.