Low Voter Turnout in Kano Assembly By-Elections

On February 21, 2026, the Kano assembly by-elections were marked by a notably low voter turnout, attributed to a boycott by major political parties, including the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Despite an early turnout reported by officials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the participation was shockingly poor, with residents expressing surprise at the lack of voters.

Malam Musa Abdullahi noted that usually, people would arrive early to cast their votes. The elections were held in the Kano Municipal and Ungogo Local Government Areas (LGAs), where security personnel were deployed across various polling centers.

Abdu Zango, the Kano State Resident Electoral Commissioner, reported that the elections were conducted satisfactorily and peacefully, with no security issues. The low turnout was further explained by the absence of key political parties, which had previously defected from the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) led by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.