Kaduna government dismisses ‘baseless’ claim of plotting to sabotage by-elections

The Kaduna government has rejected allegations by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) that it is plotting to sabotage the August 16 by-elections in the state.

The parties had alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kaduna is preparing to “sabotage the bye-elections, distort the electoral process and steal the elections” in the Chikun/Kajuru federal constituency and the state constituencies of Sabon Gari and Zaria on Saturday.

The ADC and SDP claimed that about 4,000 thugs have been recruited from within and outside Kaduna to intimidate citizens and opposition party agents at polling units and collation centres.

They also accused the state government of attempting to compromise officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) with inducements, including allocations of plots of land.

‘BASELESS, MISCHIEVOUS’

However, Ahmed Maiyaki, the state commissioner for information, described the claims as “laughable lies”.

Speaking with journalists in Kaduna on Thursday, Maiyaki said the allegations are “baseless, mischievous and a desperate attempt to discredit an election the coalition knows it cannot win”.

“We will not sit idly by while political opportunists smear the name of our administration and malign innocent officials with wild, unsubstantiated claims,” Maiyaki said.

“Democracy in Kaduna is alive and thriving, and no amount of theatre from el-Rufai’s political leftovers in ADC will change that.”

The commissioner added that the state’s legal team has been instructed to examine the coalition’s allegations for possible legal action.