From Sadiq Abubakar, Maiduguri
LG Polls in Borno state was successfully held in Saturday, 28th November 2020 after about a decade when previous LGCs election was last held .
However the election witnessed protest votes as a result of alleged maltreatment of Local Government staff and teachers as well as series of political and criminal threats ranging from votes buying and thuggery from Ngala LGC
The Ngala betrayal and protests was as a result of the earlier suspended LG polls slated for 6 am to 4 pm
Investigation revealed that the political betrayal and u-turn done to the ruling party in the LGA was due to the outright protest and retaliation to Governor Babagana Zulum dismissal of over 500 LGC workers from Ngala LGC and similarly an alleged termination of over 500 teaching staff of primary and secondary from the Ngala LGC of the state.
It was further discovered that the alleged dismissed civil servants are those working with the LGC Secretariat and due to the Boko Haram insurgency relocated to Maiduguri city and elsewhere and were yet to return to Gamboru Ngala, their ancestral homes.
While as for the teachers, it was gathered that at the time of unscheduled visits of Governor Zulum to Gamboru Ngala sometimes this year.
The governor directed for the suspension of all the school teachers absent in the primary and secondary schools of Gamboru and Ngala towns while it was learnt that despite the intervention of the NUT and NLC at the state and LGC levels, salaries and allowances of over 500 teachers from the primary and secondary schools visited and others also not visited were directed to be stopped indicating that, they were dismissed .
So, the termination of appointments of the civil servants who have refused to return to their local government for work and the dismissal or stoppage of salaries of the teachers who also failed to resume normal and regular teaching work in schools compelled and influenced the LGC workers and teachers of Ngala LGC to mobilize their families, friends, relations and associates against the APC ruling party in favour of the opposition party, the PDP candidate, Hon. Yaro Kaka in the area.
And from all indications, the protests votes may be workable for the protesters and PDP as it will be recalled that the 2019 Borno State House of Assembly member , Hon. Bukar Ngala from Ngala LGC Constituency was alleged to have been defeated but the state ruling party of former Governor Kashim Shettima tactically alleged to have masterminded the election in favour of the APC Candidate .
Therefore, it is not surprising this time around, the battle line is being drawn between the APC candidate and PDP candidate in Ngala LGC polls where it was reported that almost all the councillorship wards of the LGC were won by the opposition party, PDP.
But it was reported that as the result was being awaited from the Electoral Commission headquarters Maiduguri Sunday when other LGCs were expected to forward their results sheets for final declaration and announcements by then Executive Chairman of BOSIEC, Alhaji Abdu Usman as required by the electoral law .
In another development, PDP has officially declared and called for repeat of elections in Askira/Uba LGC of Borno state.
In a statement issued on Saturday and made available to newsmen in Maiduguri, it called on the state independent electoral commission to cancel the elections.
Some residents of.Askira and Uba towns that spoke to our correspondent alleged that supporters of PDP were beaten and chased away by thugs and security agents working for the APC while some notable and highly placed government officials and functionaries allegedly snatched ballot boxes and papers among other electoral materials to unknown destinations to rig elections in favour of their candidates.
In another development, alleged cases of rigging and manipulation of electoral results by the ruling party in Gwoza, Biu, Haeul, Gamboru and Ngala, MMC, Jere, Askira/Uba, Chibok, Dqmboa, Gwoza, Shani and few wards of LGAs as elections did not take place and voters did not come out to vote in most of the polling units except for the IDPs camps were prominently visible and complained of by some citizens of the state and political party leaderships., IPAC.
However, it was observed that the APC worked squarely to ensure that Borno LG elections becomes a one party affair by all means using the privileges of being in power and control of government at the federal and state levels.
Places like Gwoza, Biu, Hawul and Chibok as well as Bayo and Kwaya Kursa LGAs experienced alleged rigging, manipulation, low turn out of voters, absenteeism in some polling units among others while in most places, cases of ballot or vote buying were prominent ranging from N500 to N2000 per vote depending on the LGA according to some residents and voters who confined with our correspondent was order of the day in the few places that election took place.
This no doubt informed the delay in the declaration of the 2020 Borno LG polls results as RO from the 27 LGAs of the state including those LGAs within the state capital MAIDUGURI were yet to submit their result sheets to the BOSIEC headquarters as at Monday morning for the electoral body to officially declare and announce winners of the said elections at the council and ward levels.
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