More of violence attacks have been reported in the Kano State governorship election.
There were some cases of violence reported earlier in the state. But, the latest incidents show that the situation is becoming more critical.
According top Daily Post, the Commissioner of Information and Malam Muhammadu Garba and that of Finance, Alhaji Aminu Dan-Amu have been attacked by thugs.
The information commissioner was molested at Yalwa polling unit in Dala local government where his car’s windscreen was smashed by the thugs. His counterpart of the finance ministry, Dan-Amu, was attacked at Dogon-Nama polling unit in the same Dala local government. The thugs tore his cloth.
Also attacked, was an All Progressives Congress’ elder, Alhaji Liti Kul-Kul. It was gathered that the elder was trailed to his family house by the thugs before attacking him.
Confirming the incident, Garba said, “I was personally attacked by PDP thugs at Yalwa polling unit and the windscreen of my car was smashed. He said: “I am sure the attack emanated from the pronouncement of Kwankwasiyya leader, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso who said all PDP members are agents and all PDP members are security.”
“This is the danger of such statements especially by leaders. We have Kwankwaso on tape, urging his supporters to be agents and security at polling units. This is wrong and unacceptable.”
The opposition party in Kano, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has reacted to the supplementary election going on in the state.
The main opposition party made shocking revelation of the kind of incidents taking place in the state.
According to Daily Trust, the PDP called for the immediate cancellation of the rerun election currently going on in the state.
In a press briefing, the Acting State Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Rabiu Suleiman Bichi, called the exercise as “Charade,” saying “what we have in Kano is nothing but sham”.
The PDP state chairman said the ruling party in the state, APC, had mobilized thugs to take over all the 208 polling units in the state.
“These thugs are imported from Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, Plateau and other neighboring states.
“These thugs are armed to teeth and posing as electorates of those localities’ polling units,” Bichi has said.
He added that the thugs freely vote with PVCs that do not belong to them and some posing as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff, alleging that their party agents were denied access to the polling units and most of them were beaten and driven away.
“As I address you now, we have reports that some of our agents have been killed, vehicles burnt, property destroyed in Doguwa, Nasarawa, Minjibir, Dala and Tudun Wada Local government areas,” he said.
“These with other infractions made us to completely lose faith in the whole exercise and therefore, call on INEC to cancel this elections,” Bichi concluded.
Earlier, some journalists covering the Supplementary Governorship election in Kano State on Saturday escaped lynching by some suspected thugs at Suntulma Primary School in Gama ward of Nasarawa Local Government Area of the state.
NAN reports that the journalists who were in the area to monitor the poll, were chased out of the place by the hoodlums.
Trouble began when some of the newsmen tried to interview some voters who were denied access into the classrooms where some of the polling units were stationed.
While trying to flee the troubled area, some of the journalists fell on ground and one of them (Name withheld), had to take refuge in a nearby Mosque in order to save his life. NAN also reports that some of the reporters had their clothes torn by the thugs.
Speaking to newsmen, some voters alleged that they were not allowed to exercise their franchise as they were chased out of the area.
One of them, Comrade Aminu Tijjani, said he went to the primary school to cast his vote at his polling unit but had to return to escape the hoodlums’ attack. “The situation is very bad and this is not how to conduct an election where people or voters are denied the opportunity to vote,” Tijjani said.
Another voter, Sani Abdullahi, said he came to vote as early as 8 a.m. but was scared away by the suspected thugs numbering about 10.
Meanwhile, voting has commenced in other affected polling units across the 28 local government areas of the state.
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