Onyebuchi Ezigbo in Abuja
The governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in Zamfara State, Alhaji Sani Abdulahi Shinkafi, has petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) seeking the removal of the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Hajiya Asmau’ Sani Maikudi.
He also demanded the redeployment of all the heads of security agencies in the state over allegations of bias and fraudulent practices. Shinkafi said his party had rejected the results of the presidential and National Assembly elections conducted in the state on February 23, 2019.
In a petition sent to the INEC chairman, the APGA governorship candidate warned that failure to remove the officials would result in tension in the state as his supporters would no longer allow themselves to be intimidated.
In the petition, Shinkafi said: “I am constrained to address you on the outcome of the just-concluded National Assembly election conducted on February 23, 2019, which we in the APGA see as the worst election ever conducted in the history of Zamfara State, under the leadership of Hajiya Asma’u Maikudi as REC.
“We reject the outcome of the February 23, 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 and vigilante group, “Yansakai,” he said.
Shinkafi alleged that an All Progressives Congress (APC) chieftain led thugs to disrupt election in Gusau with the aid of security agents.
He pointed out that “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.”
He accused the INEC REC of summoning a meeting of stakeholders a day to the elections in the Commissioner of Police (CP)’s office without representatives from other opposition political parties where they perfected plans to rig the elections in favour of the APC.
He said the failure of the CP to invite other political parties clearly showed his biase.
“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.
“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 (LGAs), wards, polling station, in all the 14 LGAs, 147 wards, and 2516 polling stations respectively.
The former APGA national secretary said the party had also written the EFCC and the ICPC to investigate the allegation of heavy financial inducement to the REC and security agents by the APC leadership.
He alleged that the REC lodged in Karma Guest House and that all the bills incurred by all the heads of security agents were paid by the state government.
