By Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano
The Kano State gubernatorial candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Abba Kabir Yusuf yesterday alleged that massive vote buying perpetrated by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) dominated the just concluded presidential and National Assembly elections in the state.
The gubernatorial candidate also alleged that APC had successfully achieved its plan of using money bags to buy votes in the state. “We saw it glaringly during the election; the APC Chairman, Abdullahi Abbas, and his cohorts were buying votes at polling stations,” Yusuf was quoted as saying in a statement by his spokesman, Sanusi Bature Dawakin-Tofa.
The statement added that the gubernatorial candidate raised the alarm while speaking to journalists shortly after casting his vote at Chiranci polling unit in Gwale Local Government Area (LGA).
The statement added that Yusuf, who is the chairman of the state’s PDP Presidential Campaign Council, advised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies to check the growing cases of vote buying in accordance with Electoral Act.
“I am devastated to see that people’s consciousness is being bought through a paltry amount; the government of Kano used the advantage of the abject poverty, hunger and illiteracy affecting a significant percentage of our population,” the statement read in part.
“Abba Kabir Yusuf urge PDP supporters to remain calm and steadfast ahead of the forthcoming governorship and state assembly elections so as not to be distracted from discharging their civil right in voting passionately for people who has substan of driving good governance.
“We call on INEC and the security agencies to be impartial in the discharge of their duties and the media to render it’s role of a watchdog of the society to ensure that decision of the electorate is respect and their constitutional rights protected,” the statement added.
