In a surprising outcome during Saturday’s Garki-Babura Federal Constituency by-election in Jigawa State, the Peoples Democratic Party emerged victorious at the polling unit of Minister of Defence, Muhammad Badaru Abubakar.
At Polling Unit 001, located within Kofar Arewa Primary School in Babura, the PDP secured 308 votes, while the All Progressives Congress garnered 112 votes. The result marked a significant upset for the minister, who is a prominent APC figure, immediate past governor of Jigawa State, and currently serves in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet.
The Minister of Defence arrived to vote under tight security presence but departed the location without addressing the media.
Despite the high-profile nature of the election, the exercise was conducted peacefully. Security operatives from the Nigeria Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Nigeria Immigration Service were deployed across Babura and Garki Local Government Areas to ensure order.
Election officials reported that the process proceeded without disruptions. Mr. Ibrahim Shehu, the polling officer at the minister’s unit, confirmed the smooth conduct of voting and counting.
“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, also praised the peaceful atmosphere and expressed optimism about an APC victory in the overall results.
While the election was underway, commercial activities continued in parts of the constituency. However, voter turnout was described as relatively high across several polling units, reflecting strong public interest in the outcome.
