By Joy Yesufu
Three major opposition parties—the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and African Democratic Congress (ADC) were absent from the ballot papers in Saturday’s Kano State House of Assembly by-election, raising concerns among observers and voters.
The by-election was conducted to fill two vacant seats in the Kano State Assembly following the deaths of the former lawmakers last year. The deceased legislators were members of the NNPP before their passing.
Arise News, reported that nine political parties were listed on the ballot papers issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), excluding the PDP, NNPP, and ADC.
The absence of the three parties comes as the exercise recorded low voter turnout across several polling units in Kano Municipal Local Government Area, despite the early arrival of INEC officials and electoral materials.
As of mid-morning, many polling centres reportedly had only a handful of voters, while officials waited for more constituents to arrive. Electoral materials were seen properly arranged, with polling officers on standby to commence accreditation and voting.
Security personnel were deployed across key locations to maintain order and ensure the safety of voters and electoral staff. Observers described the security presence as strong, although turnout remained sparse in several areas.
INEC has yet to issue an official statement clarifying the absence of the three opposition parties from the ballot papers.
