Tension in Kano as PDP protests governorship election result

Kano State has been engulfed in palpable phobia over the rejection and protest of the controversial governorship election result announced by the Independent National electoral Commission (INEC) which the commission declared the incumbent governor Ganduje winner. Supporters of the former Governor of Kano State, Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso, the Kwankwassiya Movement, and leaders of the Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have vowed to vehemently protest the governorship election result until INEC announces the genuine result.

Accordingly, PDP leaders in Kano expressed dissatisfaction at the conduct of the governorship election which the APC candidate, Umar Ganduje, was declared winner after the PDP candidate was in clear lead before the supplementary election.

The PDP, at a press conference in Kano, rejected the results and vowed to contest the outcome at the election petition tribunal.

Governorship candidate of the PDP, Abba Yusuf, revealed that the party has assembled its legal team to begin a court process.

“The next line of action is for us to go to court, we have mobilised all our lawyers and they are here collecting all the pieces of evidence on the ground. By Tuesday or Wednesday, we will submit our case to the tribunal; we expect the tribunal to give us every necessary support in terms of justice. We expect our mandate to be retrieved from the APC and justice would be done.”

Deputy governorship candidate, Aminu Abdulsalam, urged the Nigeria Police and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to do the right thing as unbiased umpires.

The level of violence in Gama was in full glare of everybody, yet nobody is willing to say a word, they even went on to say that all was well. The only way forward is for the police force to do what they are supposed to do, to be an unbiased umpire. INEC should sit up and do the right thing. Canceling the election was the best thing that could have happened.

The state party chairman, Suleiman Bichi, described it as ‘unfortunate’ and expressed his displeasure at the election process.

“Well I think it is a purely electoral robbery in Kano, it is unfortunate that in this era in Nigeria, this kind of thing can happen. It is beyond human imagination. I cannot fathom if this country is ready for democracy, and democracy has been massacred, battered and it is unfortunate and I hope that the leaders look into it and amend what has happened in Kano. Otherwise, this may be the end of democracy in Nigeria,” he said.

The governorship rerun election was conducted in 28 Local Government Areas.