A Civil Society Organisation, the Alliance for Democratic Action (ADA), has dismissed claims by a group that the just concluded All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial primary election in Kano State was marred by violence in which some people died and others injured.
The group, Coalition of Democracy Monitors for Credible Election (CDCME), was said to held a press briefing by its national coordinator, one Comrade Balabe Rufa’i, during which he corroborated the claims by the member of the House of Representatives, Sha’aban Ibrahim Sharada, who was an aspirant in the primary election.
However, the ADA, in a statement issued by its North West zonal coordinator, Dahiru Alhassan Fagge, on Tuesday, said the CDCME was used by a defeated aspirant in the primaries as “launch pad to discredit one of the most peaceful primary in the country”.
Faggae stated that the ADA official were present to observe the primaries in North West states of Kano, Jigawa, Kaduna and Katsina.
He added that during the conduct of the primaries in Kano, ADA officials observed that the police and other security operatives maintain a “watertight security” and have no record of any attack or death during and after the exercise in any part of the metropolis.
The zonal coordinator further expressed regret that the CDCME could not provide any evidence during the briefing to prove its claim on any incident of violence during the conduct of the exercise.
He noted that till now, neither the group nor the lawmaker for “whom it is apparently working for” could say who was killed or injured.
“At least if there were deaths as they claimed, the lawmaker should have visited the family of his killed supporter to condole with them or visit the injured at home or in the hospital to commiserate with them.
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All he has done was that he took to the social media platform to spread lies and make false claims on violence that never happened,” the statement added.
Fagge stated that Sharada fully participated in the primary election, which was reported live by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) and three radio stations in the state.
He added that the lawmaker was present at the venue of the primaries till the time of vote counting “where no harassed him, talk less of any attempt on his life or his supporters”.
He noted that the “false” claim by Sharada was apparently as a result of the defeat he suffered from the election.
“When he arrived at the venue of the election, held at Sani Abacha Indoor Stadium, he was seen exchanging pleasantries with the governor and his deputy with whom he contested the primary.
“Not only that, he fully related with the delegates and was given the opportunity to address them before the commencement of the election. In the course of his remarks, Sharada commended the whole process that led up to that day.
“The lawmaker expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the election and the opportunity given to him and any other aspirant who might have wished to participate,” Faggae noted.
He, however, called on elected or appointed officials “to always guard against making unverified claims capable of creating confusion particularly now that the nation will be going for national elections.”
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