By Gabriel Achadu, Kaduna, and other reports
Opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) today claimed victory in two of three seats in the Kaduna State and National Assembly bye-elections in the North-West State.
The party’s mobilisation wing, called ‘ADC Vanguard,’ took the position in a short statement on its X account today, August 16,2025.
Elections were conducted in Chikun/Kajuru federal constituency (for House of Representatives), the Zaria Kewaye state constituency, and the Basawa state constituency.
In the statement, ADC Vanguard said: “ADC Coalition Dominates Kaduna State, Securing 2 out of 3 constituencies in Stunning victory.”
Its stance came even as official results from the state electoral commission were yet to be released.
Before the ADC statement, ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain, Ayekooto Akindele had criticized the state’s former Governor Nasir El-Rufai, a spearhead of the opposition and who openly campaigned for ADC in Chikun ahead the poll, saying emerging results showed Kaduna people had rejected him and the party he stands for.
Ayekooto, in a post on his official X, claimed that El-Rufai plotted to “grab power in Kaduna State.”
His post: “El-Rufai’s main calculation is to use the tribalistic anti-Tinubu coalition to grab power in Kaduna State so as to settle his envy scores with the People’s Governor Uba Sani.
“Unfortunately for him, Kaduna people said loudly today that UBA SANI IS THEIR LEADER (capital letters his) .”
Meanwhile, vote-buying and intimidation were widely reported in the re-run polls.
Reports of brazen vote-buying and intimidation were rife in most poling units during the federal constituency bye-election.
Our correspondent reports that the allegations of vote-buying by agents suspected to be supporters of APC and intimidation of voters by security operatives were widespread in poling units in Ungwan Boro Duse units in Chikun LGA.
Political party agents, led by the main opposition Peoples Democratic party (PDP) man in Sabon Tasha ward, Emmanuel Yakubu, told our reporter at Philolo 84 Ungwan Boro poling unit, that it was rife.
Mr. Yakubu further alleged that APC supporters “are giving voters cash between N5000 -N3000 behind the scene, and calling some others from home on phone to come and vote for their candidate with money awarded.”
The PDP agent lamented that “front and back, left, right and center, voters were been called to the side by APC supporters” and allegedly given inducement before they cast their votes.
In some cases, he said, “people are being called on phone even now as you can see them by my side, by those who know them and treated before casting votes under the glaring views of security operatives”, even as he pointed at some scenes where the incidents were seen taking place.
In both Boro Primary School, Philolo Duse and Foresight School polling units/voting centers, the situation was the same, with some party supporters sharing money to potential voters after cornering them to a side.
A noticeable sight was that as opposition party agents in some polling units complained betterly against the APC vote-buying, there was no such complaint so far by APC agents.
Our correspondent who monitored the exercise reported that voting commenced about 9am -10am in most polling stations visited in Sabon Tasha ward.
However, there was low voter turnout,as of press time.
In Ungwan Boro Primary School, hosting unit C 30 and C 31, a black SUV with tinted glasses and sealed registration number plate, widely suspected to be cash-laden, allegedly for vote-buying purposes, was sighted with full police escort.
An individual wearing APC tag and sighted carrying cash, stepped out of the vehicle and approached a group of voters at the back of the primary school entrance gate.
Our correspondent also reported that as at 2:40 pm, Foresight School polling unit, Ungwan Boro, with 500 registered voters had only about 50 accredited voters.
