A group of foreign observers based in South Africa and known as Pan African Women Project, has said that the supplementary election conducted by INEC in Kano state was marred by violence, voter intimidation, partisanship on the part of the security agencies and voters disenfranchisement.
The publicity secretary of the group, Mphoentie Keitseng, who spoke to journalists at a press conference in Kano on Tuesday, revealed that the supplementary election was marred by thuggery, abuse of electoral process denial of foreign observers access to polling units by the security operatives as well as chasing away of journalists.
According to her, “Political thuggery and voters intimidation were reported in almost all the polling Units visited by the group under the watch of INEC officials and security agencies. It is evident that INEC and security agencies were compromised”
The Group also observed regulated violence and sponsored thuggery in Nassarawa, Madobi, Dala, Kura, Rimin Gado and Kibya local government areas sponsored by political Class across party lines.
It said Women were not found queuing in most polling Units they visited adding that Security were visible at polling units they visited in the re run election as compared with the previous Election.
The NGO also observed that the two major political parties (APC) and (PDP) tried to undo each other for swift electoral victory, hence the palpable eruption of spontaneous crisis with some loss of human lives.
The group condemned in its entirety the manifest compromise of the security personnel along party interest to sabotage the electoral process.
They however commend the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting these supplementary elections across the nation despite the problems facing them.
Speaking earlier, the Director General Centre for Credible leadership and Citizens Awareness Dr. Nwambu Gabriel said the Card Reader has become a sham the device ought to checked any form of rigging but yet the politicians are still involved in ballot box snatching, Vote Buying among other electoral frauds.
He said going by what is happening in the electoral process there is the for urgent need for the review of the electoral laws that check the excesses of greedy politicians.
