Security is being strengthened in Minjibir Local Government Area of Kano state in preparation for a re-run election into the vacant position of member of the Kano State House of Assembly, the election is slated to hold on the Sunday30th of July.
Minjibir is one of the 44 Local Government Areas in Kano state. The election became necessary as a result of the nullification of earlier election conducted in February, 2015 by an Election Tribunal.
It will be recalled that a run- election was held two months ago by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), but was inconclusive as the exercise was marred by violence which necessitated another re-run.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in charge of Kano state, Abdullahi Kaugama, revealed that the re-run election will be held in 126 Polling Units, while, about 78,210 registered voters are expected to take part in the election.
15 candidatures are taking part in the election, however, information gathered from sources on ground in the area, indicates that the election would be closely contested by candidates of the two leading Political Parties in the state, the All Progressive Congress (APC), and the People Democratic Party (PDP).
Presently, Political tension is very high in the town, ahead of the election among supporters of the candidates of the APC, and PDP, each of the two parties is favoured to win the election.
A preemptive security measure is being mounted by the Police, in partnership with other Security Agencies, the Kano State Deputy –Commissioner of Police, John Amadi, confirmed.
He disclosed that operatives under his command have been fully mobilized to police the area as a way of ensuring orderly conduct of the election.
A total of 657 members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have been recruited by the Nigeria`s national electoral body as ad-hoc staff that would participate in the conduct of the election.
The Minjibir re-run election is also generating tension among politicians in the state, and the tension, if not well managed is capable of degenerating into an open violent conflict.
The issue generating the tension has to do with the ‘do or die attitude’ or ‘winning at all cost behavoiur’ of most of Nigerian politicians, this trend is very common among most of Nigerian politicians.
The tension associated with this particular election, is more visible in the ruling political party in the state-the APC, where supporters of Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and his former boss, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, are trying to outplay themselves on whose camp should produce the candidate of the party for the election.
A source close to Kano state governor, disclosed that the prevailing situation between the two leaders, pointing out that both of them have refused to agree on who should be the candidate of the party in the election.
This development, he said, is fueling the internal crisis rocking the party as regard the election.
According to him, the party is currently in deep crisis on the account of the misunderstanding raging between the two leaders, and there are indications that the crisis is going to affect the chance of the party in the election.
On the other hand, although the PDP in the state seems to be relatively peaceful and united at the moment, prevailing situation in the party shows that it is also experiencing its own share of internal dispute which also posed serious threat to the chance of the party in winning the election.
The party from every indication is weak financially at present, when compared with the APC, and some of it well to do members seems not to be willing to provide the needed funding for the prosecution of the election.
The Administrative Headquarters of the APC in the state is at the moment under lock and key, as a result of the prevailing personality clash between Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, and former governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.
The locking up of the Headquarters was carried out by Police at the instance of a Federal High Court in the state, following a suit filed by the ousted former chairman of the party, Umar Haruna Doguwa, challenging his removal from office, done by section of members of the party loyal of Governor Ganduje.
The closure of the Headquarters is an indication that the crisis rocking the party is getting out of control. It is not clear which of the two candidates presented by each of the factions in the party INEC will deal with in respect of the re-run election.
APC in Kano state, at the moment have two chairmen, one is Umar Haruna Doguwa, who was suspended by at the instance of Governor Ganduje, and the other is, Abdullahi Abbas Sanusi, selected as replacement by Ganduje supporters in the party.
Adeola Ajakaiye
