From Maiharaji Altine
A former Senator for Zamfara central senatorial zone, Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa has strongly lambasted the People’s Democratic party (PDP) for accusing the All Progressives Congress (APC) of vote buying during the Saturday’s rerun election.
The People’s Democratic party (PDP) said, supporters of Senator Kabiru Garba Marafa have distributed money and clothing materials to the electorates in most of the poling units with the aim of buying their votes.
But in a sharp reaction, Marafa who addressed journalists in his resident in Yandoto town of Tsafe local government area of the state described the accusation by the PDP as baseless and unfound.
Marafa stressed that, the PDP was always crying foul where there was none, adding that, “The PDP is always in the habit of complaining where there is no complaint”.
“He cited an example of what happened in the state recently when the PDP won the governorship election and went on rampage instead of them to raise their hands of and pray to God for making it possible for them to win.
“Marafa said, “They (PDP) won election against the incumbent Governor and instead of them to raise their hands and thank God for making it possible, they went on rampage, destroying government and people’s properties”.
“I have never seen this type of destruction in my life before”.
“We the (APC) have won presidential election in Zamfara, I was the coordinator for Tinubu/Shattima organisation and I was ordinarily supposed to lead a mass rally to celebrate”.
“We spent several months conversing for votes, visiting localities to converse support for our candidate”.
“And at the end of the day we won and it was a spectacular event but we did not tear even a poste or billboard or destroy any building”.
“So I don’t think PDP can accuse anybody of vote buying or anything”.
You know, when you are not expecting something and suddenly you got it you got it, it becomes a problem to you “.
“The People’s Democratic party has never won election in Zamfara, as such, that mentality they have suffered for a long time has affected their common sense”.
Marafa stressed that, he has never heard of vote buying until now when the PDP made such baseless allegation.
He said, “I have never heard of vote buying and I don’t know what it is all about”.
“Somebody needs to educate people on what vote buying is all about. I think we need to know that”.
“If you tell me ‘vote buying’, I will expect to see somebody standing and negotiating with a voter on how much he will sell his vote”.
“For example, a voter will sell his vote for N1000, N2000 or N5000 and if you give him the money, he will go and vote, then later snap it and show you”.
“But this is not done anywhere during an election but in any situation, you can never rule out the bad eggs in every organisation”.
Marafa commended the security agents for deploying security personnel to the affected poling units, calling on his supporters to continue to be law-abiding.
He also appealed to the people of the zone particularly his supporters not to take the election as do-or-die affair, concluding that, “God gives power to whom he wishes”.
There was large turn out of voters in all the poling units visited by our correspondents and the election was held peacefully in most of the affected areas.
