Home NEWS Call to review Kano Guber Poll: We’re Professional not Partisan, Coalition tells...

Call to review Kano Guber Poll: We’re Professional not Partisan, Coalition tells TMG, Others

A coalition of INEC-Accredited Observer Groups on Tuesday, reemphasized  that Kano State Governorship and State Assembly Elections conducted on 18th March, 2023 was allegedly marred by irregularities, violation of the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines, advising the electoral umpire to review the results obtained in areas where issues of BVAS and over voting occurred.

The Coalition made the assertion in a statement, jointly signed by Alhaji Ali Abacha, Chairman and Secretary, Dr. Ibrahim Baba respectively.

They further called on INEC to examine bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) machine, deployed to verify the figures on the results sheets Form EC8As for all affected local government areas.

The Coalition was reacting to a press statement, earlier issued by Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) and Others, Tagged ‘ A REJOINDER TO A PRESS STATEMENT ISSUED BY TRANSITION MONITORING GROUP (TMG), AND OTHERS’

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In the statement, the Coalition said its attention have been drawn to a publication recently circulated by some CSOs condemning the report of the recently concluded Gubernatorial and State Assembly Elections as observed by seasoned and duly accredited Independence National Electoral Commission (INEC )Domestic Observer Groups in Kano State, that took place on Saturday 18th March 2023.

“There were reported cases of irregularities of some state actors and non state actors that tried to undermine the process of election in Gwarzo, Tudun-wada, Bagwai, Dala, Fagge, local government, just to mention a few.” The Coalition stated.

They urged INEC to also take cognisance to the margin of lead which is put at 128,897 votes less than total number of cancelled votes of 273,442, maintaining that Section 65 of the Electoral Act 2022 as amended is very clear cases in an issue like these.

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“As a coalition of duly accredited INEC Domestic Observer Groups, it has been a tradition that at the end of every election exercise we compile, compare, report obtained from various field officers deployed to all the 44 Local Government Areas in Kano State.”

The Coalition assured that every data collated by field officers have been proven to be accurate, reliable, and verifiable without any act of misinformation or mischief intended to hurt, please or malign any particular interest.

It further affirmed categorically that, the group never at any time called for the cancellation of the Kano polls. “Rather in fairness we advised that INEC should review results obtained in affected areas where issue of Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) and over voting occurs.”

” We operate solely on rules of engagement and code of ethics of the observers guidelines as required by the law.”

They group however, agreed that in every election all grievances must be channeled to the court of law, saying they have not said anything different from what was reported in other states; i.e Abia, Adamawa, Enugu, Ogun State and others.

“The TMG and its allies in their submissions alluded to the fact that we have earlier reported when they mentioned that ” noting that the lost elections was
marred by violence and other forms of electoral malfeasance, the CSOs affirm that they stand by their earlier recommendotions on the part of INEC and other stakeholders to improve the elections in Nigeria”.

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“We are apolitical, neutral and had no affiliation with any political party.”

“As a Coalition of Election Observer Groups, we are neither faceless nor partisan as been reported to malign the image of the coalition before the good
people of Kano and the nation at large.” It however maintained.

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