Like a scene from the Captain Sinbad and The Seven Seas adventure and fairy tale, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai was declared Kaduna State governor-elect in the gubernatorial/state assemblies election that was held on March 9th, 2019.
Mallam Nasir el-Rufai lost Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House Polling Units to Alhaji Isa Ashiru and to some observers this is the tell-tale signs, but surprisingly in the final election results released by INEC, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai of All Progressive Congress [APC] polled a total number of 1,045,427 votes to defeat his main challenger and opposition candidate, Alhaji Isa Ashiru of Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] who polled a total number of 814,168 votes.
Mallam Nasir el-Rufai won in 14 local government areas, namely; Markarfi, Zaria, Igabi, Soba, Giwa, Kauru, Ikarra, Kudan, Sabon Gari, Kaduna North, Kaduna South, Birnin Gwari, Lere, and Kubau. While Alhaji Isa Ashiru’s People Democratic Party [PDP] won in 9 local government areas, namely; Kaura, Zangon-Kataf, Sanga, Kajuru, Jaba, Chikun, Jema’a, Kachia, and Kagarko.
Mallam Nasir el-Rufai was said to have won 56% of the total votes cast.
Total number of registered voters in Kaduna State: 3,946,800
Accredited Voters: 1,936,800
Rejected Votes: 31,515
Total Valid Votes: 1,889,714
Total Valid Casts: 1,921,229
As was expected, Kaduna North and Kaduna South, Zaria draw the highest number of voters and these are the places Mallam Nasir el-Rufai has being having ban unending battle with the residents and the populace. How did Mallam Nasir el-Rufai dramatically garnered more votes from these areas remains the ‘ninth wonder’ of Nigeria democratic end-game!
Mallam Nasir el-Rufai smooth sails in these three highly populated and high level of voters consciousness’ is a wonderfully crafted political game end. Mallam Nasir el-Rufai dares and doesn’t seemed to bothered, he once derided the pontiff, he threatened the European Union Election Observers. Kaduna State has ‘never’ witnessed the untamed and systematic annihilation of human soul in It’s history as this.
Yet, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai’ ‘Ninth Wonder’ Nigeria’s democratic history was re-elected. Mallam Nasir el-Rufai pre-appointment as Chief of Staff to the President may still be feasible after all if Alhaji Isa Ashiru of Peoples Democratic Party [PDP] hones his facts and figures and also work with Election Observers that went round the four corners of Kaduna State to monitor the March 9th, 2019 gubernatorial/state assembly election will and may eventually have his way at Kaduna State Election Petition Tribunal.
The roundly condemned election by local monitors and observers will surely be a tonic for Alhaji Isa Ashiru of Peoples Democratic Party [PDP]. The whole process was declared as neither free nor fair and marred by systematic falsification of election results by local election monitors and observers.
When you can’t figure out how to make sense out of nonsense, stop trying. Just keep breathing, sooner or later, it will become clear. Placing the blame is a bad habit, but taking the blame is a sure builder of character. In all this, has INEC take the blame for all the lapses and administrative mess it created during the 2019 elections? Surely NO
Taiwo Lawrence Adeyemi
Research & Data Analyst, Premium Times Center for Investigative Journalism [PTCIJ].
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