Two opposition parties in Kaduna State — the African Democratic Congress and the Social Democratic Party — have accused the ruling All Progressives Congress government in the state of plotting to subvert the August 16, 2025, bye-elections in Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency and the state constituencies in Sabon Gari and Zaria.
The leaders of the ADC and SDP alleged that the state government had perfected a “multi-billion-naira plan” to manipulate the polls, compromise electoral officials, and unleash violence to ensure APC candidates are declared winners.
Addressing a joint press conference in Kaduna on Thursday, the ADC National Vice Chairman – North-West, Jafaru Ibrahim Sani; ADC Kaduna State Chairman, Elder Patrick Ambut; and SDP Kaduna State Chairman, Hon. Nasiru Maikano, described the alleged plot as “a direct assault on election integrity and the fundamental rights of citizens.”
The coalition was led by former governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, at the media briefing held at the Correspondent chapel office of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Kaduna State on Thursday.
El-Rufai was accompanied by his former commissioners, including Hajiya Hafsat Baba, among others.
According to the coalition, intelligence gathered in the past weeks indicated that “about 4,000 political thugs” had been recruited from within and outside Kaduna to intimidate voters, harass opposition supporters, and disrupt collation processes at ward, constituency and federal levels.
“It has become apparent that the APC government’s plan is to sabotage the bye-elections, distort the electoral process, and steal the elections they have no chance of winning in a free and fair contest,” the coalition said.
The National Vice Chairman, who read the text of the press conference, further alleged that the state government was seeking to compromise Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials through inducements, including the allocation of plots of land to senior electoral officers, local government electoral officers, and technical support staff.
The coalition claimed it had details of “secret meetings” between top state government officials and high-ranking INEC personnel, including some deployed from the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
“In furtherance of their election sabotage cause, we have details of Kaduna State Government officials that have had clandestine meetings with high-level election personnel and other technical staff deployed from INEC Headquarters,” the coalition stated.
Sani, who was a Commissioner of Education under El-Rufai, pointed fingers at a serving Commissioner in charge of local government affairs, accusing him of leading the “dishonourable operation”.
He also alleged that senior officials in Kudan, Soba, and Zaria local government areas were recruiting more thugs to attack opposition rallies and disrupt campaign events.
“These assaults on democracy are being coordinated at the highest levels of the state government.
“Our intelligence shows that these officials are planning targeted disruptions of our campaign plans and intimidation of our supporters,” the parties alleged.
Meanwhile, the All Progressives Congress in Kaduna State has dismissed allegations by the African Democratic Congress and the Social Democratic Party that it has perfected plans to rig the August 16 bye-elections in the state by recruiting 4,000 thugs.
Reacting to the claims at a press briefing on Wednesday in Kaduna, the State Secretary of the APC, Alhaji Yahaya Baba-Pate, described the allegations as “baseless and politically motivated”, insisting the party is law-abiding and confident of victory in all the contested constituencies.
“First of all, the APC in Kaduna State, and indeed across Nigeria, is a law-abiding party. We don’t engage in illegality before, during, or after elections,” Baba-Pate stated.
According to him, the ruling party is confident of winning the three constituencies — Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency, Zaria State Constituency, and Gabasawa State Constituency — on the strength of Governor Uba Sani’s performance.
“We are confident because of the way and manner our governor, Uba Sani, is delivering the dividends of democracy to the citizens of Kaduna State, cutting across religion and ethnicity. We have no ulterior motive; we are simply prepared for the elections,” he added.
Baba-Pate said APC’s campaign machinery was already in full swing, with the governor and top party leaders actively canvassing for votes.
“Right now, we are running a campaign in Chikun, and our governor is there in person. The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly are presently in Zaria and Gabasawa, campaigning for the APC,” he explained.
The party, he said, is relying on its track record to appeal to voters rather than resorting to violence or electoral malpractice.
“We have never engaged in dealing with thugs. We believe the voters are with APC, and we have never engaged in any malpractice with any electoral body. We believe in one man, one vote,” Baba-Pate added.
He expressed optimism that the party would sweep all three seats in the forthcoming polls, citing the “visible achievements” of the Uba Sani-led administration as the strongest selling point.
“Come August 16, 2025, APC will win the Federal Constituency of Chikun/Kajuru, the Zaria State Assembly Constituency, and the Gabasawa State Constituency,” he declared confidently.
