Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) would conduct drug and substance tests on chairmanship and councilors candidates of all political parties presented for contesting in forthcoming local government elections in the state.
The Executive Chairman of KANSIEC, Prof. Sani Lawal Malumfashi, stated this during the official visit to the headquarters of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in Kano on Tuesday.
HE emphasized that the Commission is set to test the candidates contesting the chairman and councillorship positions on drugs.
While seeking the support and cooperation of the NDLEA to conduct the drug test on political party candidates and submit the results to the Commission to ascertain whether they are eligible to contest or not based on the outcome of the test.
Prof. Malumfashi maintained that the present electoral commission in the state is committed to doing all it can to see that drug addicts do not get executive power in local government authority.
He added that drug users in the leadership of local government would worsen the situation of drug abuse in the state and could even bankrupt the local government treasury in promoting and increasing drug abuse and related offenses.
The Chairman also seeks the agency’s Commandant Support in ensuring security during and after the elections noting that being the agency is part and parcel of the electioneering process.
In his response, the State Commander of NDLEA, Abubakar Idris Ahmad, assured the commission’s chairman that his command is ready to provide all the necessary support and cooperation to conduct a hitch-free election in the state.
Highlights of the event were the presentation of the elections guidelines and calendar to the Commander and the NDLEA Commander Prof. Sani Lawal Malumfashi on behalf of his Command.
Credit: Bashir Habib Yahya
