9 Zamfara opposition parties demand REC’s removal
Nine opposition parties in Zamfara state have passed a vote of no confidence on the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Dr Asma’u Sani Maikudi, over alleged compromise of her official duty.
The opposition parties, led by the governorship candidate of APGA Dr Sani Abdullahi Shinkafi, at a press conference said the Resident Electoral Commissioner is a card carrying member of APC.
The parties, whose chairmen jointly addressed the press, are APGA, PDP, Accord Party, ABP,NNP, NRM,YPP, ADC and DPP. They alleged that the elections were massively rigged in favour of the APC.
They said the REC deliberately refused to release to them the list of wards and polling units affected by the insecurity across the 14 local government areas of the state.
“We demand for her removal immediately. We no longer have confidence in her. She was recommended for the job by Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State and she did a hatchet job because of Masari’s intimacy with Governor Yari and it is on our record and we can prove that beyond any reasonable doubt,” they said.
They said the police boss in the state Mr Celestine Okoye was also biased and had been compromised, adding that they would strongly resist any attempt to rig the forth coming governorship and state assembly elections.
They further alleged that the last Saturday’s elections were marred by a lot of electoral malpractices such as financial inducements, supply of incomplete result sheets and ballot box snatching by the agents of the ruling party.
“We totally reject the results of the elections because they were bought and allocated. It is the worst election ever conducted in Zamfara state and we will not take it lightly because we can’t be fooled,” they added
However, the Head of Department, Voter Education and Publicity at INEC, Garba Galadima, said the allegations were baseless and could not be substantiated.
Similarly the Police Commissioner in the state, Mr Celestine Okoye, dismissed the allegations.