APC leaders demand Kano REC’s removal

The leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State yesterday staged a protest to the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kano demanding the immediate removal of the Resident Electoral Commissioner.

They hinged their demand on the REC’s alleged “partisanship, favouritism and conniving with the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) to rig elections.”

The protesters, led by their legal counsel, Barrister Abdu Fagge, said they were not satisfied with the conduct of the REC during the 2023 general elections.

Fagge said, “It may be recalled that before now the APC and several other parties had written various petitions against the Kano State Resident Electoral Commissioner for his partisanship, favouritism and conniving with the NNPP to rig elections.

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“We once again register our loss of confidence in the Kano REC and demand his immediate removal in line with the dictate of the law, impartiality, respect for due process and the rule of law.”

The Head of Department, Administration, INEC, Lawal Sani, received the petition on behalf of the REC with the promise to deliver.

Daily Trust observed that thugs tried to take advantage of the situation, forcing traders to suspend business activities for the day.

Abba Kabir Yusuf of NNPP was declared winner of last Saturday’s governorship election in Kano, polling 1,019,602 votes against his closest rival, APC’s Nasir Gawuna, who secured 890,705 votes.

At a media briefing on Tuesday, Gawuna said INEC ought to have declared the election inconclusive. The APC candidate said it was clear that his NNPP opponent did not win on a clean slate.

But in a statement, Umar Haruna Doguwa, chairman of NNPP in Kano, defended the party’s victory and accused the Kano State Government of unleashing violent attacks on residents because of their election loss.