From Maiharaji Altine Gusau
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Zamfara has declared that it will only participate in a rescheduled Bakura state Assembly by-election if the security of its members and its votes are guaranteed.
This was announced by the party’s leader in the state and also former governor, Alhaji Abdul Aziz Yari at a press briefing he held at his Talata Mafara residence on Sunday.
Yari who described the exercise as a sham alleged that it was marred with poor security cover to the electorates while voters were left in the hands of thugs who terrorized law abiding citizens and openly snatched ballot boxes.
“While they did all these, no arrests were made and this was why even in Birnin Tudu ward where eight boxes were snatched, INEC went ahead to record such boxes as containing valid votes.
“On this, we have written a letter of complain to INEC and unless this is addressed, we will have issues in our participation when the date for the re-run by-election is fixed,” he maintained.
Yari asserted that power of the security and those in government were deployed in order to frustrate the chances of the APC noting that “if some people think they can use force because they are in authority, they should know that if it was the rule of the game, they would not have attained their present position.”
Analyzer news gathered that earlier, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) while addressing journalists through Sen. Lawal Daniya who served as the party’s chairman for the by-election expressed dismay over the returning officer, Prof. Ibrahim Magawata for allegedly trying to declare the APC candidate as winner of the election.
Analyzer news however revealed that at the end of the exercise, the Returning Officer, Prof. Ibrahim Magawata declared the elections which he said was marred with irregularities as inconclusive.
INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Dr. Asmau Maikudi told NAN that video tape recordings carried out on the by-election would likely address issues arising from the election.
A new date is expected to be fixed by INEC for a re-run of the by-election to refill the position created by the death of the former Bakura state assembly constituency representative, Alhaji Tukur Jekada (PDP) who died after a protracted illness.
