The Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) has set January 22, 2014 for the conduct of local government elections in all the 44 local government areas of the state.
The chairman of the electoral commission, Dr. Sani Malumfashi told reporters that 1.5 billion Naira had already been budgeted for the conduct of the election.
For over two years now, grass root politicians in Kano State have been expecting the KANSIEC to announce the time table for local government elections. The delay has been attributed to insecurity across the state.
“Political parties’ campaign is scheduled to hold between February 16 and May 16 2014. Parties’ primaries and submission of candidate’s names to the commission will hold between March 3 and 13, 2014. Sales of forms will begin from March 14 and end on 28. The entire process will hold between January 22 and May 27 2014,” Dr. Malumfashi said, reading from a computed schedule.
‘Timing Not Calculated’
While the commission says the choice of date is considerably rational and calculative, critics say it is unfortunate that KANSIEC is just issuing the time table after over two years of waiting.
Critics believe timing has not been calculated as claimed by the commission’s chairman.
Meanwhile, the proposed date, according KANSIEC, will enable the commission procure both sensitive and non-sensitive election materials, meet with major stakeholders and embark on holistic and extensive voter education campaign across the state.
