LG Polls: No Plan To Amend Kaduna Law

The Kaduna State House of Assembly has denied allegations of planning to hijack the upcoming local government elections.

The Assembly’s chairman on information, Hon. Henry Marah, the member representing Jema’a constituency denied the allegation while briefing newsmen yesterday in Kaduna.

Hon. Marah, who is also a member of the PDP, said that it was necessary to respond to such allegations made by the State PDP Chairman so as to restore the confidence of the people of the State and reaffirm the commitment of the assembly to the well-being of the members of the state.

“We have no intention to amend the electoral law against the election that is supposed to hold on the 19th of this month, as a matter of fact and as a house we amended the SIECOM law since July.

“Laws are meant to be amended from time to time to suit the situations on ground and one of the key points of amending the SIECOM law in July was the removal of the voting machine due to short notice we had for the election, INEC by virtue of their voters registration increased the number of polling units across the state, and then the state at that time was not prepared to go and get those machines,” Henry said.

Hon. Marah recalled that the chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Kaduna State chapter, Edward Percy Masha, in a briefing with newsmen on Tuesday, alleged that the state government officials are planning to hijack the appointment of both the wards and local government returning/collation officers for the October 19 council elections.

“It is on these allegations that I want to clarify that this 10th assembly has been doing its work without favour, we are not cowards as we know what we are doing and the assembly is not a tool to be used to suit any kind of situation,” Marah said.

“Our governor is a man of peace, and without peace there won’t be development in any society, the governor has never interfered in what we are doing, he has never tried to manipulate us,” he added.