Kano Polls: INEC should use results in areas without violence —Situation Room

The Nigerian Civil Society Situation Room has expressed concern
over widespread irregularities, especially violence in the Kano
State supplementary election held on Saturday.

The organization, therefore, called on the Independent National
Electoral Commission to “discountenance the supplementary elections
where violence occurred and proceed to make a declaration on the
basis of the polls already concluded.”

The Executive Director, Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre and
Convener, NCSSR, Clement Nwankwo, expressed these views in its
statement on the supplementary elections in Kano State, jointly
endorsed by two alternate chairs, Y.Z Yau and Esther Uzoma.

The statement reads, “In the light of widespread violence in the
areas where INEC had conducted supplementary elections in Kano
State, Situation Room calls on INEC to discountenance the
supplementary elections where violence occurred and proceed to make
a declaration on the basis of the polls already concluded, as the
country will be in no mood to accept the conduct of another
supplementary election on the back of a supplementary election.

“Situation Room is concerned about reports emanating from the
Kano State supplementary elections that indicate serious violence,
extensive use of thugs to perpetrate electoral violence.

“Situation Room condemns the actions of political parties in the
run-up to the supplementary elections and on Election Day. Reports
received show massive deployment of thugs and party agents to
polling units. In Gama Ward, a large number of thugs were seen
intimidating voters, observers and even INEC officials around the
polling units, unchecked, despite the presence of security
personnel.

“There were also incidents of high deployment of unaccredited
party agents to polling units who aided the disruption of the
voting process. Situation Room is concerned that abuses of
electoral process and violence have occurred despite the deployment
of top-level Police officials, including a Deputy Inspector
General, three Assistant Inspectors-General and Commissioners of
Police.

“In the previous elections, the State Commissioner of Police
took charge without senior-level officers. It is therefore ironic
and curious that this level of violence and political thuggery
would occur with this quantum of senior Police Officers deployed.
Situation Room has always advocated against redeployment of
Commissioners of Police ahead of elections.

“Reports also showed that there were high incidences of vote
buying facilitated by thugs and party agents. This trend was seen
particularly in Gama Ward of Nasarawa Local Government. There were
also reported cases of attempted inducement of observers with
cash.”