The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kano has officially declared its readiness for the upcoming bye-elections slated for February 3 in the Kunchi/Tsanyawa, Kura/Garin Malam, and Rimin Gado/Tofa State Assembly constituencies.
Abdu Zango, the state’s resident electoral commissioner, made this announcement on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ address at the commission’s Kano office.
Zango assured that all necessary preparations have been completed, with trained electoral personnel poised to conduct a transparent and credible election across six local government areas. A total of 66 polling units spread across the specified constituencies will be involved in the electoral process.
Emphasizing the importance of voter identification, Zango stated, “Any person without a permanent voter card will not be allowed to participate in the forthcoming bye-election.” He added that all impacted local government areas had already received both sensitive and non-sensitive materials from the commission.
To ensure the fairness and credibility of the elections, Zango revealed that the Biometric Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS) machine would be deployed for the rerun polls. Expressing confidence in the process, he affirmed, “We have prepared and equipped our personnel with basic electoral knowledge for the conduct of free, fair, and transparent elections come February 3.”
The Resident Electoral Commissioner commended the Police for providing necessary security personnel for the bye-election. State Police Commissioner Usaini Gumel, present during the announcement, affirmed that the command had implemented security protocols to guarantee smooth elections in the affected local government areas.
CSP Hamma Abdullahi, speaking on behalf of Gumel, assured citizens that all polling places would have a police presence, creating an environment where eligible voters from the six local government areas can participate without fear for their safety or property.
He issued a stern warning to political party leaders, urging them to discourage their followers from engaging in any form of political violence, ballot snatching, or thuggery throughout the election process.
