The major opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has alleged that the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, mobilized thugs to disrupt electoral processes and snatch materials in 9 wards during the conduct of the supplementary election into the Kankara State Constituency.
The Local Government Collation Agent for the area, Barrister Nurudeen Sani, raised the alarm, accusing the local government chairman of the area, Annas Isah, as the mastermind of the act.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is conducting the State House of Assembly Supplementary Elections in three State Assembly seats, including Kankara, Kurfi, and Kankia.
While monitoring the exercise in Kankara Local Government Area, electoral processes commenced early in some wards, but not without allegations of irregularities, as pointed out by the PDP Local Government Collation Agent, Barrister Nurudeen Sani.
He explained that the electoral materials were snatched by the suspected hoodlums in the presence of the police and other security agents, thereby intimidating the PDP agents who escaped for safety.
Sani gave the names of the wards where the electoral materials were snatched with the support of the police including Wawar-Kaza, Kuka-Sheka, Burdugau, Pauwa A, Pauwa B, Danmarago, Dan Maidaki, Zango Zuberu, and Mabai Gatagawa.
He further called on INEC to declare its candidate Lawal Audu winner, since he already polled 6,104 votes out of the 11,000 total votes cast in the previous election, as against his APC rival, with less than about 5,000 votes.
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The Kankara Local Government Chairman, Annas Isah, while speaking on the conduct of the election, described it as peaceful, denying any form of irregularities.
According to him, the process was satisfactory, including the turnout of voters, while expressing hope that the APC will emerge victorious.
In Kurfi and Kankia Constituencies monitored the election was conducted peacefully as no form of violence or irregularities were recorded.
The supplementary election is being conducted across 88 polling units in Kankara, Kankia, and Kurfi Local Government Councils, due to overvoting, destruction of electoral materials, and violence, where a total of 63,811 voters were affected.
As of the time of filing this report, sitting and counting of votes have begun.
(Editor: Ifeanyi Mark)
