Aliyu Askira
The Sardaunan Kano, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, yesterday declared that his party, the PDP, would challenge the outcome of Saturday’s local government election because their supporters were not allowed to vote, while in some places election materials arrived late or no election was conducted at all.
The former Kano state governor told Blueprint in a telephone interview that people accused him of rigging 2007 local government elections in Kano, but that the blame should be put on his former deputy, Engr. Tijjani Gwarzo, who handled the election while he was in Saudi Arabia performing the Hajj.
He said: “My former deputy, who crossed over to APC, is one of those who gave the present government the formula to conduct the May 17, local government elections; secondly, during our time, they won some local governments and councillors.
“But in the recent one, out of 44 chairmen and 484 councillors, the PDP did not win even one seat; this cannot be possible because I am still popular in Kano politics.”
Continuing, he said: “We are aware that even security agencies compromised, while KANSIEC did not live up to expectation; these are some of the reasons we are going to court. We have ample reason to prove that the Saturday’s local government election was seriously rigged.
“I call on all our supporters to remain calm because we are doing everything possible to prove beyond reasonable doubt the Kano is still a PDP state. I heard on radio people criticising me because I swore in the past never to join the PDP; let them understand that things have changed, and I have no choice but to cross over to the PDP with my supporters.”