A Sokoto-based pressure group, Coalition of APC Groups, has called on Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and law enforcement agencies to ensure that next Saturday’s governorship poll in the state is devoid of avoidable challenges and electoral violence.
It also commended a former governor of the state, Aliyu Wammakko, for ensuring that All Progressives Congress, APC, has wide acceptability across all the local governments areas in the state.
The group said this in a statement by its spokesman, Abdulrahaman Umar Aliyu.
His words:”We deemed it necessary to issue this statement in order to brief the world on the stand of Sokoto State APC, and how we will always comply with law and order in whatever circumstances.
“In Sokoto State, it is so strange that the failed PDP government is always on the offensive in almost all APC controlled polling units during elections using thugs.
“The 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections were not an exception. Thereby instigated chaos in almost all the strongholds of APC.
“It’s crystal clear that Sokoto is an APC state, because the good people of Sokoto State are solely behind former Governor Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko.
“Wamakko as a leader of APC in the state, made APC to remain the indefatigable and most widely accepted political party with larger number of supporters across 23 local government areas of Sokoto State.
“From the foregoing, one can deduce that the deliberate violence in some polling units, was deliberately caused to disrupt elections in order to destroy votes belonging to APC by PDP thugs, among which includes Polling Units in many wards across the state.
“By and large, Sokoto State is being ruled by a mediocre whose interest is only to grab power by hook or by crook.
“PDP in Sokoto is totally at a loss, looking at what happened at their meeting on March 2, 2023, at Kasarawa Conference Centre Sokoto, where they urged their supporters to see the election as a do or die affair.
“We advise the PDP to play politics with the rules. I know the law enforcement agencies are there for the masses and will no doubt do the heedful.
“We appeal to law enforcement agencies to ensure a peaceful atmosphere for the electorate to exercise their rights on election day and not allow PDP hoodlums to distabilise peaceful coexistence in our state.
“We are also calling on INEC to as a matter of fairness and justice play the game with fair and just to all parties as for INEC adhoc staffs conduct yourself in line with the rules and don’t let unpatriotic leaders to ruin your reputation by bribing you to destroy the choice of the electorate. We are aware of series of attempts to influence the outcome of the elections.
“Finally, we call on our teeming party faithful to come out and cast their votes as provided by the law. After casting your votes, protect your votes.”
