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Sola Ojo, Kaduna
Most of the manipulations, irregularities, falsification of results, harassments, and intimidation of party agents happened at the collation centres at the local government level, a group of local observers who observed the just-concluded governorship election in Kaduna State has said.
The observer groups are Initiative for the Promotion of Civic Obligations and Sustainable Peace (INPROCOSUP), The Integrity Friends for Truth and Peace Initiative, Centre for Strategy Ethics and Value and Women Empowerment for Global Impact Initiative.
Presenting the report of the coalition in Kaduna on Friday, Prof Banake Sambo, who led other groups leaders said, their members were deployed to 189 registration areas across the 23 local government areas of the state where the report emanated.
According to him for example, “in Ikara, Jamfalan, Fala, Kurmin Kogi, Rumi, Auchan and Paki wards in Ikara local government area, Tudun wada, Ungwan Fatika and Ungwan Juma wards in Zaria Local Government Area; Pambeguwa and Haskiya wards in Kubau Local Government Area; Idasu, Kakangi, Yakawada, Giwa and Shika wards of Giwa Local Government Area.
“Others are in Hayin Banki/Ungwan Kanawa and Maiburuji wards in Kaduna North Local Government Areas; Kukuyi ward in Kagarko Local Government Area; Kwasallo ward in Soba Local Government Area and Makera constituency collation centres, security agents in collaboration with political actors prevented or chased away observers from collation centres in the places mentioned above.”
These developments he said, gave some political actors the cover to manipulate and rig elections in the mentioned areas.
“Our delegation observed that the elections were marred by irregularities, instances of intimidation, vote-buying, violent acts during voting, counting and collation of results as reported in some places.
“The actions and impunity with which some electoral actors conducted themselves, using the military, INEC officials and polling agents, subverted citizens’ confidence in elections and threatened the legitimacy of the outcome of the elections,” he added.
