8 parties raise alarm over irregularities during last elections

Eight coalition of some aggrieved political parties comprising  PDP, NRM, APGA, AP, NNPP, NUP, APB and the YPP  in Zamfara state  have advocated for the immediate removal of some principal actors in the electoral process including the Commissioner of Police Mr Celestine Okoye and Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hajiya Asama’u Sani Maikudi for their alleged roles in rigging. 


The spokesman of the group, Dauda Ahmed Jangeme who is the state Youth leader of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), stated this while addressing newsmen in Gusau Sunday, shortly after a crucial meeting of the group.

“After our meeting, we unanimously condemned the alleged collaboration by the police commissioner, the REC and the director of  DSS to facilitate mass rigging in the state,” Jangeme said.

The coalition alleged that the REC, Dr Asma’u Maikudi had on the eve of the last elections, held a suspicious closed door meeting with the commissioner of police, and the factional chairman of the All Progressives C congress (APC).

Dauda stated that the intent of the meeting manifested clearly on the election day when massive rigging and other gross irregularities were witnessed by many voters across most polling units in the state.

“There were evidences of ballot box snatching, ballot paper stuffing, vote buying and financial inducement in the glare eyes of security agencies, but nothing was done to stop or arrest the perpetrators,” he said.

To worsen the situation, the state he said the  Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) made a deliberate poor arrangement for the late arrival of election materials to most of the polling units, including the results sheets so that “the planned manipulation of figures in the election results could be actualized.’’

He stated that due to the unwarranted intimidation and harassment by the security agents, elections were not held in Mada, Wanke and Ruwan Baure under Gusau local government.

“The elections clearly were not held in thirty one polling units, all due to security harassment to twist the voting pattern in favour of the APC in the state,” he said.

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