Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf has commended the peaceful and orderly conduct of the recent local government elections held across all 44 local government areas of the state.
The governor made this statement at the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) headquarters shortly after casting his ballot in Gwale Local Government Area on Saturday.
Governor Yusuf praised the high level of organization and commitment demonstrated by election officials and security personnel throughout the process.
He noted that the elections, conducted in 484 wards across Kano State, were exemplary in terms of fairness and transparency while describing them as "the freest and most transparent local government elections in Kano's history," a testament, he noted, to the maturity and political awareness of Kano’s citizens.
Acknowledging the support of external observers, the governor expressed gratitude to the electoral commission chairmen from other Nigerian states who were present to monitor the election process. Their participation, he said, underscored the importance of the democratic process and added credibility to the conduct of the elections in Kano.
Governor Yusuf further said the presence of these seasoned electoral professionals helped to enhance public confidence in the electoral process, as they provided impartial oversight and ensured that international standards were upheld.
The governor also took the opportunity to commend the residents of Kano State for their cooperation and decorum during the elections.
Acvorsing to him, the peaceful atmosphere surrounding the electoral process was a positive sign of democratic progress within the state.
Yusuf noted that the residents' willingness to participate in local governance by exercising their voting rights without any reported incidents of violence or unrest was a significant achievement. He attributed this orderly conduct to the commitment of the Kano State government to maintaining law and order and ensuring that every citizen’s voice is heard in the democratic process.
“I am appealing to the judiciary to continue being neutral when it comes to elections, it is not good for our judiciary to be partisan.
“Even though the Kano state government is the only Government which came into office under the platform of NNPP, we shouldn’t be intimidated, people of Kano are peace-loving people but if pushed to the wall, they can react.”
“We’ve seen what happens in Rivers, so we took proactive measures to ensure that a similar scenario does not happen in Kano.
Yusuf further urged the opposition to accept defeat, citing his party’s strong voter support.
“I want to appeal to the opposition to always accept defeat as we have the upper hand in terms of voter support,” he said.
The Governor pledged to continue fostering policies that will encourage citizen engagement and ensure accountability at all levels of governance.
