Observers Give Sokoto Supplementary Polls Pass Mark

As the National Assembly supplementary elections get underway in Sokoto State on Saturday, accredited Election Observers have commended the smooth arrangements put in place by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the conduct of the elections.

Similarly, they acknowledged the turnout of voters, which they described as impressive.

Leader of the coalition of the observers, made up of 10 Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Ambassador Prince Emeka, told journalists that, “we have seen the readiness of INEC with regards to the modalities towards ensuring a peaceful and credible elections.

“Yesterday, we met the Commissioner of Police and other security heads in charge of these elections and from our interactions with them, they guaranteed a peaceful atmosphere for the conduct of the elections.

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“Results so far from our colleagues across the 23 local governments indicate that the supplementary elections are going on smoothly as electoral officers and materials arrived polling units to commence voting on time.

“Our appeal to the voters is to shun vote buying and any form of electoral fraud because men of the ICPC and EFCC are on the prowl,” said Ambassador Emeka, the Executive Director, Centre for Grassroots Development and Crime Prevention.

On his part, David Danladi Isaac, a member of the INEC Accredited Observers and Executive Director, People’s Care Initiative, disclosed that proceedings and outcome of the INEC stakeholders meeting held prior to the elections, gave the indication that all hands were on deck for a credible poll.

According to him, “the INEC stakeholders meeting with all and sundry in attendance cleared all grey areas concerning preparations and conducts of the supplementary election. Distribution of electoral materials was done in the presence of all stakeholders concerned.”

Recall that in the February 25 Senatorial and House of Representatives elections held in Sokoto state, all the three Senatorial seats and 11 House of Representatives seats were declared inconclusive with the exception of the Yabo/Shagari federal constituency seat, which was declared concluded lately in favour of Hon. Umar Yusuf Yabo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).