The All Progressives Congress (APC) has raised serious concerns over the bye-elections in Shanono/Bagwai Constituency and the rerun in Ghari Constituency of Kano State, calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to cancel the process immediately.
In a statement released on Saturday, APC’s National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, alleged that the exercise was completely hijacked by armed thugs, who stormed polling units and chased voters away. He said even the security operatives on ground were overwhelmed by the violence, making it impossible to conduct a credible and fair election.
Morka warned that continuing with the exercise under such chaotic conditions would not only encourage voter intimidation but also endanger Nigeria’s democratic process. “INEC cannot pretend that everything is normal,” he stressed, adding that the situation was “utter brigandage” that should not be tolerated.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force confirmed that 288 thugs linked to different politicians had already been arrested. According to the state command’s spokesperson, SP Abdullahi Haruna, the suspects were caught with dangerous weapons, including a pump-action gun, four locally made guns, cutlasses and sticks. He added that some of the thugs’ sponsors were also apprehended as they attempted to disrupt the elections.
