The Katsina State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) has assured residents of a free, fair, and credible local government election scheduled for February 15.
The chairman of the commission, Alhaji Lawal Faskari, gave this assurance during a press conference at the commission’s headquarters in Katsina.
He emphasized that all necessary arrangements have been put in place to ensure a transparent electoral process across the 34 local government areas of the state.
“We are fully prepared to conduct an election that meets democratic standards,” Faskari said.
According to him, only five political parties will be participating in the election, including the Accord Party, Booth Party, African Action Congress (AAC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), and the All Progressives Congress (APC).
However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and 85 other political parties have chosen not to participate.
Faskari stated that the commission respects their decision, noting that they have their reasons for staying away.
To facilitate the smooth conduct of the election, the commission has recruited and trained 20,000 ad-hoc staff who will be deployed across polling units in the state.
“All sensitive materials will be distributed to the local government councils on the eve of the elections,” Faskari disclosed.
He assured that the process will be closely monitored to prevent any irregularities.
Faskari further reminded all participating political parties to comply with campaign guidelines, urging them to end their activities 24 hours before the election, in accordance with the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended).
The SIEC chairman also expressed gratitude to security agencies and stakeholders for their support in ensuring a peaceful electoral environment.
