KADUNA HELD PEACEFUL ELECTION AFTER THE POST ELECTORAL VIOLANCE

The rescheduled governorship and House of Assembly election in Kaduna State was conducted on Thursday amidst tight security and low voter turn-out in the Northern parts of the state.

Unlike the last round of elections, voter apathy was palpably observed in many polling units in Kaduna North and Kaduna Central, Zaria as well as the other traditional strongholds of the Congress for Progressive Change.

But in Kaduna South and Chikun Local Government areas as well as the Southern Kaduna Senatorial Zone, where the ruling Peoples Democratic Party holds sway, the turn-out of voters was impressive in many of the polling units.

Many, however, attributed the low voter turn-out in the Northern parts of the state to the fallout of the recent post-election violence which broke out in the state over President Goodluck Jonathan’s victory at the polls.

Unconfirmed reports said many disenchanted supporters of the CPC burnt their voter card following Buhari’s defeat in the recent presidential election, vowing not to have anything to do with the electoral process anymore.

Heavily armed soldiers, AirForce personnel, regular and anti-riot policemen, anti-terrorist operatives as well as men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps manned check points at almost all the major roads in the state capital.

The security operatives erected roadblocks and other obstructions to check vehicular movement across the state as truckloads of heavily armed soldiers, anti-riot policemen as well as civil defence operatives patrolled the streets.

They were armed soldiers manning Armoured Personnel Carriers were also stationed in the various flashpoints, including Tundun Wada, Rigasa, Angwar Rimi and Katsina Roundabout to forestall any breakdown of law and order during the conduct of the pollMilitary helicopters were also observed carrying out aerial survey of the metropolis, especially around the various flashpoints.

Our correspondent observed a situation around NEPA Roundabout where a soldier at a roadblock threatened to shoot a motorist who claimed to be an election observer.

“My friend, go and park over there now and if you waste my time, I’ll kill you here now. Don’t allow me to kill you,” the soldier sternly said to the motorist.