Preliminary results from the Adamawa State local government elections conducted on Saturday indicate that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken an early lead in 18 of the 21 local government areas.
The elections, however, recorded a significant level of voter apathy across multiple polling units.
Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, who recently defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC), was absent from the state during the voting process. State officials confirmed he was attending an important engagement outside Adamawa State.
Speaking on the early trends, the State Commissioner for Information, Leader Leneke, attributed the PDP’s early lead to intense grassroots campaigning, while suggesting the ruling APC had not campaigned as vigorously.
“The PDP governorship candidate and the chairmanship candidates were going out every day for campaigns, but the ruling APC was not doing the same. So, if the PDP wins the election today, it is due to its hard work,” The Punch quoted Leneke.
Leneke noted that the low voter turnout was partly driven by a historic perception among rural populations that local government polls automatically favor the party in power. He also stated that heavy rainfall after 1:00 p.m. further disrupted voter participation.
Meanwhile, Deputy Governor Professor Kaletapwa Farauta expressed satisfaction with the exercise after visiting the Karewa Primary School polling unit and other centers. Farauta described the turnout as impressive and orderly, praising the electorates for their peaceful conduct and urging the Adamawa State Independent Electoral Commission (ADSIEC) to maintain professional standards.
Some voters also reported that material distribution and simultaneous accreditation began smoothly around 8:00 a.m. at locations like Jambitu unit 002.
Conversely, opposition candidates have alleged widespread irregularities. At Girei I Ward, observers noted that seven polling units were without election officials and voters by 11:00 a.m. In Song Local Government Area, officials were present in only three township units but recorded no voter turnout.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) chairmanship candidate for Demsa Local Government Area, Dennis Kakaba, strongly criticized the process, alleging that voting occurred in only eight out of the 172 polling units in his council.
“There is no local government election in Adamawa State. They wrote the results last week and are pretending that an election has taken place. It is a shame for democracy,” Kakaba stated.
Despite the criticism and low turnout, APC Publicity Secretary Dogo Victor expressed confidence that the ruling party would emerge victorious once the final results are officially computed and released by ADSIEC.
The electoral commission had earlier confirmed that 11 political parties, including the APC, PDP, ADC, SDP, YPP, and the Labour Party, participated in the local government contests.
Preliminary results from the Adamawa State local government elections conducted on Saturday indicate that the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has taken an early lead in 18 of the 21 local government areas.
The elections, however, recorded a significant level of voter apathy across multiple polling units.
Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, who recently defected from the PDP to the All Progressives Congress (APC), was absent from the state during the voting process. State officials confirmed he was attending an important engagement outside Adamawa State.
Speaking on the early trends, the State Commissioner for Information, Leader Leneke, attributed the PDP’s early lead to intense grassroots campaigning, while suggesting the ruling APC had not campaigned as vigorously.
“The PDP governorship candidate and the chairmanship candidates were going out every day for campaigns, but the ruling APC was not doing the same. So, if the PDP wins the election today, it is due to its hard work,” The Punch quoted Leneke.
Leneke noted that the low voter turnout was partly driven by a historic perception among rural populations that local government polls automatically favor the party in power. He also stated that heavy rainfall after 1:00 p.m. further disrupted voter participation.
Meanwhile, Deputy Governor Professor Kaletapwa Farauta expressed satisfaction with the exercise after visiting the Karewa Primary School polling unit and other centers. Farauta described the turnout as impressive and orderly, praising the electorates for their peaceful conduct and urging the Adamawa State Independent Electoral Commission (ADSIEC) to maintain professional standards.
Some voters also reported that material distribution and simultaneous accreditation began smoothly around 8:00 a.m. at locations like Jambitu unit 002.
Conversely, opposition candidates have alleged widespread irregularities. At Girei I Ward, observers noted that seven polling units were without election officials and voters by 11:00 a.m. In Song Local Government Area, officials were present in only three township units but recorded no voter turnout.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) chairmanship candidate for Demsa Local Government Area, Dennis Kakaba, strongly criticized the process, alleging that voting occurred in only eight out of the 172 polling units in his council.
“There is no local government election in Adamawa State. They wrote the results last week and are pretending that an election has taken place. It is a shame for democracy,” Kakaba stated.
Despite the criticism and low turnout, APC Publicity Secretary Dogo Victor expressed confidence that the ruling party would emerge victorious once the final results are officially computed and released by ADSIEC.
The electoral commission had earlier confirmed that 11 political parties, including the APC, PDP, ADC, SDP, YPP, and the Labour Party, participated in the local government contests.
