In a dramatic twist during Saturday’s Garki-Babura Federal Constituency by-election in Jigawa State, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) defeated the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the polling unit of the Minister of Defence, Muhammad Badaru Abubakar.
At Polling Unit 001, located at Kofar Arewa Primary School in Babura, PDP polled 308 votes, while APC managed 112 votes, handing a surprising local defeat to the minister, who is not only a senior member of President Tinubu’s cabinet but also the immediate past governor of Jigawa State and a prominent APC chieftain.
The Minister of Defence cast his vote under tight security but left the scene without speaking to the press.
Despite the high-profile nature of the poll, the election was largely peaceful.
A robust deployment of security personnel, including officers from the Nigeria Police, NSCDC, and Nigeria Immigration Service, helped maintain order throughout Babura and Garki Local Government Areas.
Election officials confirmed that the exercise was conducted smoothly.
Mr Ibrahim Shehu, the polling officer at the minister’s unit, told reporters that voting and counting went without any incidents.
“There was no disruption. Voters came out in good numbers and everything went peacefully,” he said.
At Polling Unit 005, Primary Yamma, the Minister of State for Education, Mrs. Suwaiba Ahmad, commended the peaceful conduct of the poll and voiced confidence that the APC would win overall.
While the election was underway, commercial activities continued in some areas of the constituency. Despite this, the voter turnout was described as relatively high in most polling units, suggesting strong civic interest in the contest.
