By Hamidu Sabo
Katsina
A pressure group in Katsina state, Masari Vanguard for Change, has accused the state government of working on a plot to rig tomorrow’s governorship and state assembly elections.
In a petition sent to the state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), the National Coordinator of the group, Alhaji Aminu Balele Dan-Arewa Kurfi, said the plot was aimed at perpetrating “electoral robbery and denyiong the people of Katsina state their constitutionally guaranteed rights to franchise and elect a leader of their choice.”
The alleged plot was also designed to humiliate “by all means necessary” the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), in his home state “even after routing out the PDP with over 90% of the votes during the just conculded presidential election.”
Kurfi further alleged that the plot was being “clandestinely orchestrated” by Governor Ibrahim Shema, the REC, and an unnamed “Mr Fix It” at the national headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
According to him, the plot included an attempt to hack the INEC computers in Katsina with a view to subtracting votes cast for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate, Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, “and padding votes for the PDP.”
Soldiers would also be used for partisan purposes, he said, adding that huge amounts of money were being paid to hired thugs “who will be given security cover to violently disrupt the election and cause mayhem.”
Kurfi said the Masari Vanguard for Change would not accept any move to manipulate the election by anybody.
“We, therefore, demand that in the next twenty-four hours you take all necessary measures to ensure that elections in Katsina state are done according to the Constitution and the electoral law,” he said.