Tambuwal Petitions INEC Over Relisting Of Polling Units For Rerun

Ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Sokoto State has petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) for including polling units where elections were held and results announced in the April 15, 2023 supplementary election.

The state governor and PDP candidate for the Sokoto South Senatorial District, Aminu Tambuwal, in the petition to INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, said the listing of polling units where elections had been concluded and results declared for Saturday’s supplementary election was unacceptable to him.

In the petition written by his lawyer, Mr. S.I. Ameh (SAN), he said, “Consequent upon the commission’s publication of the areas slated for the April 15, 2023 rerun across the country, our client’s attention was drawn to certain polling units under his senatorial district, where elections were successfully conducted, concluded and results validly announced and collated in Forms EC8B. To our client’s surprise and chagrin, some of the polling units in question where elections were duly concluded have now suddenly resurfaced as part of the places listed for the said proposed rerun.

“We have for the purposes of verification, your urgent attention and intervention compiled the list of the affected polling units and urge you to delist the said polling units from the list of polling units where a rerun election will take place on 15th April, 2023, in view of the fact that elections cannot be conducted twice in a polling unit, which had no issues,” he said.

The governor attached various Forms EC8B (1) properly highlighted and an itemised summary of the affected polling units for ease of reference.

He continued, “We do hope that these obvious irregularities are cured, especially having brought them to your notice and attention promptly and within time.”

Tambuwal further asked INEC to take a critical look at the list for supplementary elections in Sokoto South Senatorial Zone, clean it up and without delay release the authentic list. “INEC is also expected to identify their officers involved in this electoral fraud. Meting out exemplary punishment to them will help break the cycle of impunity and restore the confidence of the people in the electoral process,” the governor said.