By Ifeanyichukwu Marcus, Gusau
The bye election of Kaura Namoda South has turned out to be a battle of supremacy between the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the opposition All Progressive Congress, APC as violence almost disrupted the bye election.
At Kasuwan Daji ward, journalists recorded that a group of thugs stormed the polling ward and carried away the electoral materials, making it impossible for the election to commence as at the time of filing this report.
A young man whose name was not mentioned was beaten to unconsciousness, as he was alleged to be the gang leader who stole the electoral materials.
Within that area, two other units, there was also notable disruptions as voters started casting their votes very late, because political thugs hijacked the electoral materials.
Similarly, at Kyambarama ward, a federal lawmaker representing Bukkuyyum / Gummi federal constituency in Zamfara State, Engineer Suleiman Abubakar Gummi lamented the presence of the State Community Protection Guards, CPG, in the polling wards.
Fielding questions from newsmen at the ward, the federal lawmaker stressed that CPG and other local security outfits have no business in the bye election, apart from federal government owned conventional security agencies.
“The PDP led government in the State has intention to rig the election which the All Progressive Congress, APC in the State will not give them that chance to rig”, he added.
“It is very clear that Kaura Namoda remains APC dominated axis which PDP cannot have any opportunity to rig, even with the power of incumbency”
Speaking to newsmen at Kasuwan Daji, the State Publicity scribe of the All Progressive Congress, APC, Mallam Yusuf Idris Gusau said that the State government used the operatives of the Community Protection Guard, CPG to disrupt the entire bye election.
He explained that the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP knows clearly that the constituency is APC stronghold, pointing out that PDP knows that its chances of winning the bye election is very slim.
“Count out the issue of incumbency because the electorates are tired of economic hardship, insecurity and lack of welfare encouragement”, he added.
According to him, two out of the three units in the ward started voting very late due to late arrival of electoral materials, stressing that the security operatives tried their best to protect the electorates.
At Maguru unit, the election was very peaceful as voters were seen queued to cast their votes.
Speaking with newsmen at the polling unit, the Senior Special Assistant, SSA to the Governor on Communication and Broadcast, Comrade Mustapha Jafaru Kaura said that the presence of the Community Protection Guard, CGP was to boost more security.
“The law said that only police officers and Civil Defence operatives should be seen at the polling units, but today you saw soldiers controlling security”, he said.
