By Ado Hassan, Sokoto
AS reactions continue to trail the rerun election results in the Sokoto state governorship contest, the National Youth Forum for Social Justice Kaduna state chapter on Friday described as a heinous day light robbery against opposition APC for allegedly false declaration of the PDP governorship candidate winner by INEC.
Also, the forum alleged that the electoral procedures were compromised by Shylock INEC officials in the state, noting that it was worrisome and a jeopardy to the nation’s quest for a stable democracy.
Jointly addressing a press conference in Sokoto, the National Coordinator Mohammed Salihu Danlami and Yusuf Mohammed, Secretary General, said it was a thing of concern and a setback to Nigeria’s democracy the way the electoral umpire conducted the polls.
The forum however, alleged that the commission perfected and connived with PDP to disenfranchise the good people of Sokoto state.
” INEC substituted polling units where elections were not conducted with those where PDP had control during the rerun instead of conducting elections in those where it was not initially thus the exercise was repeated in polling units where PDP controls especially in Binji local government”, pointed out the Forum.
Similarly, the Forum noted with vehemence how the rerun results from some polling units in Gada local government were allegedly manipulated in favour of PDP.
” We have information that APC had 700 votes against 200 for PDP were unnecessarily cancelled just to neutralise the votes of APC and steal the mandate of the good people of Sokoto state.
” This is a clear violation of citizens right. We appeal to relevant authorities to come to the rescue of our and democracy and ensure that justice is done to the good people of Sokoto state.
” We also appeal that INEC officials who reportedly connived to commit myraid of electoral malpractices should be brought to book. This will serve as deterrent to others and will go a long way in sanitizing our democracy”, the Forum insisted.
The Forum continued” we sincerely commend the patience and tolerance of the teeming supporters of Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto of APC for controlling their emotion after the false declaration of the PDP candidate as winner of the rerun gubernatorial election conducted in the state.”
