Kaduna Government Rejects ADC, SDP Claims of Election Sabotage

On Thursday, the Kaduna State Government dismissed as “laughable lies” allegations by a coalition of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Social Democratic Party (SDP) that it was plotting to sabotage Saturday’s bye-elections.

According to Ibom Informer, the coalition—led by ADC National Vice Chairman (Northwest) Jafaru Sani—had accused Governor Uba Sani’s administration of orchestrating plans to rig the Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency election, as well as state constituency polls in Zaria and Sabon-Gari.

The group alleged that the scheme involved mass recruitment of thugs, bribery of electoral officials, and large-scale vote buying.

Speaking at a press conference earlier, Jafaru Sani further claimed that top officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were being enticed with land allocations, while a former senator was allegedly tasked with mobilizing funds for vote buying.

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The coalition called on INEC to replace the allegedly compromised officials and urged security agencies to resist “being weaponised to subvert the will of the people.”

In a prompt reaction, the Kaduna State Government—through Commissioner for Information-designate Ahmed Maiyaki—dismissed the allegations as “baseless, mischievous, and a desperate bid to pre-empt defeat.”

Speaking alongside the Commissioner for Local Government, Sadiq Mamman-Lagos, Maiyaki told journalists that the coalition’s “poorly attended rallies” in recent weeks were evidence of their “clear rejection” by voters.

“This is nothing more than a face-saving tactic by those who already know the outcome of Saturday’s election,” he said. “We will not stand by while political opportunists tarnish the reputation of our administration and falsely accuse innocent officials with wild, unverified claims.”

Maiyaki stressed that the conduct of elections rests solely with INEC, accusing the coalition of attempting to drag the state government into “its own political misery.”

He noted that while the coalition was “crying wolf,” Governor Uba Sani was in Chikun Local Government Area flagging off the construction of the Romi–Karatudu Township Roads.

Highlighting the administration’s inclusive approach to governance, Maiyaki said it had fostered peace and unity in Kaduna State.
“Governor Uba Sani has brought Kaduna people together and delivered tangible development. These political jobbers are unsettled by his popularity, so they manufacture drama to distract the public,” he stated, urging voters to “turn out en masse” on election day and ignore the coalition’s “rantings.”

Commissioner for Local Government, Sadiq Mamman-Lagos, also refuted separate allegations of illegal deductions from local governments’ accounts.

The upcoming bye-elections in Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency and in the Zaria and Sabon-Gari state constituencies are widely seen as a key test of strength between the ruling All Progressives Congress and the opposition.

While the ADC/SDP coalition maintains that the polls risk being compromised without urgent intervention, the state government insists the concerns are unfounded and amount to “a rehearsal for conceding defeat.”

With both sides trading accusations, focus now turns to INEC and security agencies to deliver a peaceful and credible election in Kaduna on Saturday