Three prominent opposition parties — the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP) and African Democratic Congress (ADC) — were conspicuously absent from the ballot papers used for Saturday’s Kano State House of Assembly by-election.

The development was disclosed in a report by Arise News, which noted that the ballot papers issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not feature the logos or names of the three parties. Instead, nine other political parties were listed.

The by-election is being conducted to fill two vacant seats in the Kano State House of Assembly following the deaths of the former lawmakers, who were members of the NNPP before their demise last year.

Meanwhile, the exercise recorded a low voter turnout across several polling units in Kano Municipal Local Government Area, despite the early arrival and deployment of INEC officials.

As of mid-morning, many polling units had only a handful of voters present, while electoral officials sat with materials neatly arranged, awaiting more constituents to cast their ballots.

Security personnel were strategically stationed across the area to maintain order and ensure the safety of voters and electoral officers. Observers, however, noted that the strong security presence contrasted sharply with the sparse turnout of voters at most polling centres.

INEC officials were seen patiently attending to the few voters who showed up, as the electoral process proceeded in a generally calm atmosphere.