Voters have kept hostage security personnel and election officials at Kiyako ward in Birnin Kudu Local Government Area of Jigawa State.
About 20 persons including ad-hoc staff and agents of the parties were rounded up and locked up in a classroom at Junior Secondary School, Kiyako, over an alleged plan to change the outcome of the election.
Also, five police officers and seven vigilante members were also kept hostage at the premises of the ward collation center.
Babandi Ibrahim Gumel, the state chairman of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, while addressing members of the press at a collation center, said the election officials were kept hostage after members of the party gathered at the Kiyako ward collation center to witness the announcement of the results and there was no collation officer to announce the results.
He said similar incidents happened at almost all the six local government areas where the PDP participated in the election.
The party chairman, therefore, urged security agencies in the state to make an effort to ensure that the results are collated and announced.
A resident of Kiyako, who gave his name as Adamu, told journalists that the election officials were kept hostage in a classroom since Saturday around 4:00PM and they will not release them until the election results are announced.
In a statement signed by Special Adviser to Governor Muhammad Badaru Abubakar on Media and Publicity, Habibu Nuhu Kila, said the Governor directed State Independent Electoral Commission, SIEC, to declare anybody who wins the election from any political party.
The statement however urged the people of the state to remain calm and assured that the right of any voters will not be violated as promised by the Governor.
Also, Chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission, SIEC, Adamu Ibrahim, said the results would soon be announced.
