Drug tests conducted on Kano LG chairmanship aspirants reveal that over 15 candidates tested positive, casting a shadow over the election process.

It has been disclosed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) that no less than 20 hopefuls contending for chairmanship roles in Kano State’s forthcoming Local Government election have tested positive for various drugs, amongst which cannabis is included.

On Monday, September 10th, the agency revealed this information.

The NDLEA commander in Kano, Abubakar Ahmed, stated that the individuals were found to have traces of various drugs following compulsory screening procedures for the elections.

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A considerable number of individuals who were confirmed positive belonged to the New Nigerian People’s Party (NNPP) and had consumed banned substances, including but not limited to nicotine, cannabis, benzodiazepines, and opioids.

Although none of the female candidates were detected to be positive, the NDLEA guaranteed that they would proceed with screening and conduct additional testing to confirm that all applicants are not involved in drug use or mistreatment.

The final verification of the aspirants will be conducted by Kano State Independent Electoral Commission (KANSIEC) after completion of the drug screening, according to Ahmed.

In Kano State, there will be 44 chairmanship and 484 councillor positions up for contest during the local government elections slated for October 26, 2024. To guarantee that candidates are suitable for public office, NDLEA’s drug test forms part of the measures being taken.