Observers decry underage voting as APC sweeps Kano LG seats

All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates at the Kano council elections have been declared winners of all the 44 chairmanships and 484 councillorship seats.

The declaration came yesterday even as the Kano Civil Society Situation Room, Kano state Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC)-accredited observers, alleged cases of underage voting at two polling units, violence, and low turn-out of voters.

Addressing a press conference yesterday, KANSIEC Chairman, Professor Garba Sheka, declared that chairmanship candidates of APC at the 44 councils were elected with 2,350,577 votes.

Prior to the conclusion of the poll, Governor Abdullah Ganduje had predicted that APC would win all the seats.

Ganduje made the prediction shortly after casting his ballot on Saturday at his 001 Ganduje primary polling unit, in Ganduje village, Dawakin-Tofa Council. He, however, clarified that the victory would be justified through the ballot.

Professor Sheka, who claimed the entire conduct was relatively peaceful, affirmed a pocket of skirmishes that was brought under control.

Although, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had officially announced its withdrawal from the poll, Sheka insisted that 12 political parties, including PDP, took part in the election.

In an Interim report issued by the lead convener, Ibrahim Waiya, the civil society group noted that the conduct of the elections was relatively peaceful but not devoid of irregularities.