Kano re-run was anything but democratic- Kwankwaso


Leader of the Kwakwasiyya Movement and former Kano state governor Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso says the governorship re-run election in the state was remarkable for the massive rigging that took place during the exercise. He bares his mind to Aliyu Askira.

His pains

Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso the immediate past governor of Kano state and member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spoke for the first time since the supplementary election last weekend.

The former governor and now senator representing Kano-central senatorial district was obviously unhappy with the outcome of the re-run according to him not necessarily because the outcome as it seems was against his party but what transpired throughout the duration of the exercise.

He described the re-run governorship election that took place in Kano on the 23rd of this month as nothing but a pure political robbery. He said some persons from neighbouring states who could clearly be identified were imported into Kano and were used for the purpose of the shameful re-run election. 

Stern statement

Kwankwaso in a strong worded statement in Kano after the governorship re-run, which has sparked some avoidable serious crisis in the state noted that since he started politics about 30 years ago, he has never witnessed a shameful and disgraceful exercise called election like what happened in Kano last week.

The grassroots mobiliser, whose movement- Kwankwasiyya- is almost a religion going by the considerable following in and around Kano, averred that even the primitive politics of First Republic was far better than the Kano re-run election.

Nasarawa factual result

“On the 13th of March, governorship election took place all over the country including Kano and in that election, Engr Abba Kabiru Yusuf was clearly leading by 26 thousand votes against incumbent Governor Abdullahi Umar Ganduje and the electoral officials were waiting for Nassarawa local government when some agents of Kano state government invaded the collation centre and tore the Nassarawa result.

“In that result, the PDP scored more than 47 thousand and APC more than 17 thousand votes, as such even without Nassarawa result, the PDP won the election with 26 thousand votes. 

“And when agents of Kano state government tore the result, Kano state Commissioner of Police, a decent and incorruptible officer promptly arrested Kano deputy governor Nasiru Gawuna and the Kano state Commissioner for Local Government, Murtala Sule Ingaru, for their disgraceful acts in the crisis.

Continuing the narrative in what seems emotion-laden tone, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso said the CP promptly dealt with them and “later instead of the Resident Electoral Commissioner to announce the result from the remaining 43 local governments, series of interventions came from above and the election was declared inconclusive.”

Challenge

“I want people to take the figures of this year’s general election from that of the president in which PDP was defeated with over 1 million votes in Kano, people were openly calling me names that I did not work seriously for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar to win Kano, but Kano people in their wisdom went out and elected senator’s from the APC, House of Representatives members from the APC and some of state assembly members also from the APC.

“But when it comes to governorship, the entire populace decided to vote Ganduje out because clearly, he is no longer popular in Kano, and his administration has been woeful.

“There were efforts by respected leaders from Kano to even make or even made strong case to the presidency to understand that Kano, Buhari’s political home-base since 2003 should be fairly treated by allowing people to choose the governor of their choice.

“Sadly, he continues with some measure of worry, ‘nobody listened to them and today, a governor that did not win an election has been imposed on them.  This has caused serious problem in the society and the governor I can tell you will not enjoy his so-called mandate.”

Reasons for heading to court

“We in the PDP are going to challenge this result immediately because in the first place, there was nothing like inconclusive election. The first election on the 9th of March was conclusive like what happened in Osun which the PDP candidate was just declared elected by the Tribunal.

“But because some irresponsible government officials tore the result of Nassarawa local government, this does not mean the whole 43 local government results should be declared inconclusive. After all, Kano women, men and youths spend the entire day to participate in the exercise and the result of Nassarawa local government alone cannot render the entire Kano results inconclusive. 

Magic results

“My little daughter called me and asked me what actually happened in Kano on Saturday and I told her that people were imported from neighbouring states, including political talks from Kano and they prevented especially women from voting on Saturday.

“Those who insisted to vote were either beaten to coma or were injured and this cannot be described as an election, she told me that recently when we visited Egypt, we visited the grave of Fir’auna, those making lives unbearable for Kano people because of power will also die one day, as such, she said I should take it easy. 

But Kwankwaso added, he is “in serious pain that Kano the centre of commerce, the state he worked so hard to open it up, to embrace modern education, modern technology, modern businesses, sophisticated infrastructural development and massive poverty alleviation including mass Hisbah marriage programme is now been thrown into dark ages.”

He regretted that even when the Emir who prevailed on people to maintain peace and orderliness in the hope the results were still intact they obeyed yet the people were disappointed because the actual results were not announced.

“We saw how his pictures were been destroyed right into government House Kano with agents of state government watching, I am really sad and I hope very soon, the court will give Kano people the person they voted for.”



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