THE Governorship Candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Zamfara State, Alhaji Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi on Thursday, called for the removal of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Hajiya Asmau’ Sani Maikudi and heads of security agencies in the state over alleged bias and fraudulent practices.
Shinkafi petitioned the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmoud Yakubu and Heads of Security agencies apprising them of APGA’s decision to reject the results of the Presidential and National Assembly elections conducted in the state on February 23rd 2019 as announced by the electoral body.
He warned that failure to remove the said officials could stoke tension in the state, noting that his supporters would not be intimidated.
Shinkafi stated: “I am constrained to address you on the outcome of the just concluded National Assembly Election conducted on the day of 23rd February, 2019 which we in the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) see as worst the Election ever conducted in the history of Zamfara State, under the leadership of Hajiya Asma’u Maikudi as Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in Zamfara State.
“We reject the outcome of the 23rd February 2019 National Assembly Election results announced in Zamfara State in its totality. The Election was not free, fair transparent, violence-free and acceptable it was full of irregularities threat to life, intimidation, harassment, by Hoodlums, Security agents, Vigilante group “YANSAKAI” APC Youth Leader lead number of thugs to disrupt Election in Gusau with the aid of Security agents.
“We demand the immediate cancellation of the Election results, the removal of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Hajiya Asmau’ Sani Maikudi and all the Heads of Security agencies out of Zamfara State as we have lost confidence in all of them.
The governorship candidate added: “If they are allowed to handle the next segment of the Elections, it will be bloody because we will resist any attempt from any quarter to rig the Governorship and State House of Assembly Election by the ruling APC Government in the State in connivance with Security agents.
“We call on you as the INEC Chairman to as a matter of urgency investigate the activities of the Resident Electoral Commissioner of Zamfara State and the staff with respect to late distribution of Election Materials to Local Government Areas, Wards, Polling Station, in all the fourteen (14) Local Government Area, 147 wards, 2516 Polling Stations respectively.
“The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Security agents and the All Progressives Congress (APC) State Leadership met a day to the Elections in the Commissioner of Police office without representatives from other political parties and perfected plans to rig the Elections in favor of the APC. The failure of Commissioner of Police to invite other political parties clearly showed he is biased.
Shinkafi further said that “I went to the office of the Commissioner of police to lodge complains but he blocked me from entering his office. He rather sent the Deputy Commissioner of Police to address us and later the Commissioner of Police came out to address us leaving the Resident Electoral Commissioner, APC factional State Chairman Gabdon Kaura and Sani Mono APC factional State Secretary inside his office with other Security agents, colluded to manipulate the Election exercise.
“That incident has made us in APGA to pass a Vote of no Confidence on the Leadership of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, and all the serving Heads of Security agents in Zamfara State.
He declared that “We reject the National Assembly results as declared by the INEC Commissioner, because the whole process violated the Electoral Act 2010 as amended and INEC laid down Rules and Regulations guiding the system.
“The election conducted in the State was marred with irregularities, late distribution of Election Materials to Local Government Areas, Wards, Polling Station, 80% non supply of result sheet to collation centres ballot snatching, manipulation, alteration and allocation of results by ruling APC in Connivance with INEC officials, Security agents, Local Government Sole Administrators to subvert the true aspiration of our people”.
He further said: “Even in wards where there were incidents of armed bandit’s that prevented the voting process, it would interest you to know that based on intelligence reports we were informed by our party members from the polling stations, wards and Local Government Area that the APC leadership in collaboration with INEC staff, Security agents had submitted concocted Election results.
ALSO READ: African leaders congratulate Buhari on reelection
“We have evidence of electoral malpractices, report of violence in Shinkafi, Kaura Namoda, Tsafe, Gusau, Maru etc. which was reported live on Channel Television during the collation and declaration of the presidential election result by the Chief Returning Officer. We have evidence of ballot boxes snatching, ballot paper stuffing vote buying in all the polling stations across the State. Our polling agents, collation centre agents, candidate where left helpless by the INEC staff and security agents in Zamfara State, because of the alleged heavy financial inducement by the APC.
“The deliberate refusal by the Resident Electoral Commissioner to release to our party the list of Wards, Polling Units affected by insecurity across fourteen (14) Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
“There was also the incidence of manipulation of the results in places the opposition parties won with landslide victory INEC refused to announce the result rather the results were moved out of the designated collation centres and announced the whole results in favour of APC, the hoodlums in collusion with Security agents aided all the Election malpractice that took place on the Election day in Zamfara State.
He noted that “In many places where card reader was not used, hoodlums were brought to the Polling Station, Collation Centre, to disrupt the election and whisked away the Election materials to rig the Election for APC Candidates who joined the Election just 24 hours to the Election Day without engaging in any form of electioneering campaign in their Senatorial Districts and Federal Constituencies.
“There are weighty allegations that the Resident Electoral Commissioner is a strong APC supporter and equally a card carrying Member of the APC, as according to our investigations the incumbent Katsina State Governor recommended her appointment and redeployment to Zamfara State to hold brief for the APC in the Elections.
“She has lost the control of the whole exercise which resulted in the late distribution of Election Materials to the Local Government Areas, Wards, Polling Station, non supply of result sheet to collation centres ballot snatching, manipulation, alteration and allocation of results.
“There is also an allegation that she has given out her daughter to the APC Governorship Candidate Alh Mukhtar Shehu Idris in marriage to marry her immediately after she declared him Governor-Elect of Zamfara State and he promised to make her First Lady.”
Shinkafi called for her immediate redeployment or suspension by the Commission and Heads of Security Agents in Zamfara State “because of their personal interest has conflicted with their oath of office and allegiance to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended.”