Once again, eligible voters set to cast their votes for preferred candidates contesting election into various offices at local government level in Kaduna State have again been disappointed following the postponment of the exercise.
Rescheduled to take place between 14th of this month and 4th of September 2021, the state electoral body, Independent Electoral Commission (SIECOM), has again postponed the event earlier scheduled to hold on the 4th of September, 2021.
The SIECOM Chairman, Dr. Saratu Dikko Audu announced the postponement at the Headquarters of the Commission during a meeting she held with political parties and relevant stakeholders on Monday.
This is the third time the local government polls would be postponed in the state.
According to her: “May I announce that the election is now scheduled for the 4th September,
2021.
“At the last meeting we had with you on 2nd June, 2021, we informed you that we had to postpone the election that was earlier slated for 5th June, 2021 to the 14th August 2021 because our machines batteries were stilll being eainfgxpected”.
“I am glad to inform you that those long awaited batteries finally arrived SIECOM yesterday. I am sure you will understand that it is impossible for us to conduct the election within the twelve days left to the 14th August, 2021.
“We do not only have to install batteries in 6,000 units of Elecetronic Voting Machines (EVMs), We also need to install the software, upgrade the machines, test them, train our staff and ad-hoc staff (about 16,500) on the operation of the new system, then conduct public and voter education on the method of voting, before we can deploy for election”.
“We are aware that political parties, their candidates and indeed the general public in Kaduna State are anxious to exercise their civic duty in electing those they want to represent them in the Local Government councils, we have committed ourselves to work tirelessly to ensure that the date we announce today, will indeed be sustained,” she said.
Reacting, the State Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Ibrahim Aliyu Wusono said his party was not comfortable with the postponement.
Wusono reminded that: “at our last meeting, they requested that we should suggest a date for the election, but we rejected it because we know that they are not serious people.
“Now that they have rescheduled the election, we hope this will be the last time. We pray it will hold on the 4th as they said”, he prayed.
It would be recalled that the election was earlier fixed to hold on May 15th, 2021 before it was potponed to June 5th and later postponed to August 14th before this present postponement to September 4th, 2021.
