NO fewer than 22 officials of the Jigawa State Independent Electoral Communication (JISEC) and security personnel are presently held hostage at Kiyako village, the headquarter of the Kiyako political ward in Birninkudu Local Government Area in Jigawa State by the electorate in protest of the commission’s refusal to announce the results of Saturday’s local council election held across the state.
The Kiyako ward is the political ward to former Jigawa State governor, Alhaji Sule Lamido who is a prominent member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chapter of the state.
Tribune Online gathered that the protesting people blocked all the entrance in the collation center denying access to all vehicles including that of journalists, insisting that the results must be collated and announced in accordance with the electoral law and Nigerian constitutional provision.
Findings by Tribune Online revealed that among official held hostage is a lady who spent her night in the class with others defecating and urinating at the same spot.
Speaking to our correspondent, one of the protesters who preferred anonymity said “all we want is that the commission should announce the results of our council at this centre as electoral law rightly puts.”
“We came out, we cast our votes for our chosen candidate, and they are trying to change our decisions, nobody can deny our right and go scot-free.”
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All efforts to contact the chairman of the Jigawa State Independent Electoral Communication (JISEC), Adamu Ibrahim proved abortive.
In a press statement issued and signed by the special adviser to the governor on media and publicity, Alhaji Habibu Nuhu Kila and made available to newsmen, it reads “The Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Badaru Abubakar has expressed his satisfaction over the conduct of local government council elections in the state.”
The statement further read that “the governor likes the way and manner in which the people of the state conducted themselves during the election.
He, therefore, enjoined the people of the state to always pray for peace to reign.
and then