Re-Run: PDP calls for cancellation of election as APC insists election is free and fair in Kano

By Yakubu Salisu, Kano

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP in Kano has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC to cancel the Kano rerun election over infractions and disenfranchised voters of the party.

This was stated in an emergency press conference by the Kano state PDP Acting Chairman, Rabiu Sulaiman Bichi Saturday morning.

“These with many other infractions made us to completely loose faith in the whole exercise and therefore call on INEC to cancel this election”

The PDP chairman said “thugs were imported from Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Plateau and other neighbouring states. I am certain most of you media have been out there in the field and have witnessed and can corroborate what we are saying.

These thugs are armed to teeth and posing as the electorate of those localities’ polling units.

They freely vote with PVCs that do not belong to them and some posing as INEC staff within, while others don our party (the PDP) Agents’ tags.

Our agents were denied access to the polling units and most of them were bitten and driven away from the polling units” the chairman stated.

“Today this charade called rerun election was slated to hold in Kano and other states. Unfortunately, what we have in Kano is nothing but sham.

Reports reaching us since yesterday indicates thugs have been mobilized by the APC and Kano state government to take over all the 208 polling units” he said.

The PDP also stated that some of their agents were killed, others injured and some vehicles also burned.

“As I address you now, we have reports that some of our Agents have been killed, vehicles burnt, property destroyed in Doguwa, Nasarawa, Minjibir, Dala and Tudun Wada LGAs.

Some sustained various degrees of injuries including the elected member representing Gwale LGA at Gulu Ward in Rimin Gado LG, Bichi, Kibiya, Gaya and in majority of polling units across the state.

The party also accused the security of compromising its stance saying, “we have instances where the security operatives give cover to these thugs to unleash mayhem on our people within the vicinity of the polling units.

Prior to this day several people were nabbed buying PVCs which are today freely being used”.

In a swift reaction at the party headquarters, the chairman of APC in Kano Abdullahi Abbas has dismissed what the PDP said as mare allegations.

“I have listened with keen interest the chairman of the PDP making all sorts of unfounded allegations against us. I am really surprised that the chairman is calling for cancellation of the election while it is still going on in most of the local governments.

To the best of my knowledge all the allegations raised by Rabiu Sulaiman Bichi are unfounded” the APC chairman declared.

He also called on the INEC to ensure the completion of the rerun election not cancel it as demanded by the PDP.

Abbas also called on the PDP to accept the outcome of the election and follow the available legal ways of seeking redress.