The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has revealed that at least 20 aspirants in the forthcoming Kano State local government election have tested positive for multiple drugs.
This development, part of a crackdown on drug usage among candidates, has sparked questions about the fairness of the approaching elections.
Abubakar Ahmad, the NDLEA commander in Kano, verified to the Daily Trust that all of the aspirants from the ruling New Nigeria People’s Party tested positive for narcotics, including opioids (codeine), THC (the active ingredient in cannabis), benzodiazepines, and nicotine.
“So far, 20 aspirants presented to us by the ruling party (NNPP) in the state have tested positive for multiple drugs, and the exercise is ongoing,” Ahmad stated.
While nicotine was detected in most cases, Ahmad added, “It is left for the electoral commission to decide if tobacco is a drug or not because it is something you find even in kola nuts.”
However, no female aspirants have tested positive so far.
The drug tests are part of the screening process ahead of the NNPP’s submission of its candidate list to the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC), which will verify all candidates before the October 26 election.
These elections will fill 44 chairmanships and 484 councillorship seats across Kano’s local government areas.
The Kano State Independent Electoral Commission had pledged to conduct drug tests for all candidates, with its chairman, Prof. Sani Malumfashi, making the announcement during a visit to the NDLEA headquarters.
