On 18th March 2023, officials of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) stormed Governor Nasir El-Rufai’s polling unit, 024, Ward 07, Ungwan Sarki, in Kaduna North Local Government Area of the state during the governorship elections.
The officials arrived at the polling unit at exactly 9:35 am while some voters were casting their votes. Unlike the presidential and national assembly elections where the governor had to stay in a long queue for several hours before casting his vote, the polling unit was devoid of the usual long queues experienced during the presidential and national assembly elections.
As of the time of filing the report, the governor had not arrived at his polling unit, unlike the last election where he was among the eligible voters that were in the queue to exercise their franchise. In the presidential election, Governor El-Rufai won his polling unit with the All Progressive Congress scoring 173 votes, while the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party got 134 votes.
However, unlike the last elections, officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission arrived early with materials, and the election commenced at 8:30 am in most polling units in the metropolis.
In conclusion, the ICPC officials’ storming of Governor El-Rufai’s polling unit could be a move by the commission to ensure a free and fair election in the state. Nevertheless, the development is one to watch as it could have implications for the outcome of the governorship election in Kaduna State.