Kano Rerun: APC, PDP make last-minute efforts to woo voters

Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State and the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state, Mr Abba Yusuf, made last-minute efforts to woo voters in Gama, a vital ward in the heart of the state capital, on Thursday and Friday ahead of today’s governorship run-off.

Investigations  revealed that both camps made multiple visits to voters in the area and held mini-rallies in a desperate bid to get votes.

The state government intensified work on the road projects started this week in Gama, forcing PDP supporters to mark the roads with inscriptions praising Yusuf.

They wrote, Abba Gida-Gida (Abba, who moves from house to house), a message suggesting that Yusuf was the one on the ground in Gama, a location in Nassarawa Local Government Area.

The Independent National Electoral Commission’s statistics indicate that Gama will decide Ganduje and Yusuf’s fate.


The statistics show that while the supplementary elections will take place in 279 voting points spread across 28 local government areas, 62 of the polling units are located in Gama alone.

Also, out of 128,324 people registered to vote in the 28 local government areas today, about 50,000 reside in Gama.

Many Gama residents believe the area holds the aces for Ganduje and Yusuf, as a winner there will win the run-off.

In the results of the March 9 election released before the governorship poll was declared inconclusive, Yusuf led with 1,014,474 to Ganduje’s 987,819.

While the governor won in 28 out of the 44 LGAs in the state, Yusuf won 16, but scored more votes than the APC.

While Ganduje’s supporters held their rally at the mini-stadium in Tudun Wada, the Yusuf’s supporters staged theirs on the expansive road leading to the residence of Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso.

Kwankwaso, a former governor of the state, is the PDP’s main force in the state.

Meanwhile, there was an increased police presence in the state on Friday.

Speaking on the level of preparedness for the election, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof Riskuwa Arab-Shehu, said all sensitive materials were moved to the LGAs on Friday.