The Coalition of Democracy Monitors for Credible Elections (CDMCE), has called on the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to investigate alleged cases of political thuggery and violence on gubernatorial aspirant, Sha’aban Ibrahim Sharada and his supporters at the APC primary election in Kano State.
The convener of CDMCE, Comrade Balarabe Rufai, made the call during press conference, yesterday in Abuja. He said, “We are disturbed by the level of uncontrolled desperation expressed in the use of brutal means by some Kano politicians backed by government to sway delegates to their sides and intimidate opponents.
“We invite the attention of the Kano State Police Command and leadership of the APC to the need to seriously investigate and punish the perpetrators and also to immediately nullify the so-called primary election that was marred with a lot of irregularities, vote buying and intimidation”.
He also demanded other security agencies to conduct urgent and thorough investigation into Sharada’s petition that he received news of attack on his supporters while he was at the venue of the election and that thugs were hired to kill him, forcing him to rush to the hospital where the victims were received.
Rufai noted that the group has made similar representations to the International Human Rights Commission of the United Nations and other international agencies and bodies calling for their immediate intervention to avert a bloody 2023 election in Kano and other places.
While explaining further, Rufai said that the coalition has observed the emerging trends in the on-going party primaries towards the 2023 general elections, especially the rising use of sponsored thugs and weapons during the governorship primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State.
He said: “As concerned citizens of Nigeria and representatives of the emasculated younger generation, we are particularly worried about reported incidences of brutality meted on a new generation gubernatorial aspirant, Sha’aban Ibrahim Sharada and his supporters at the APC primary election in Kano.
“We are thus concerned because Sharada happens to be the only young man with the courage to challenge Dr Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, the anointed andidate of the state governor.”
