Amnesty International Wants Kano Supplementary Polls Probed

Amnesty International has urged Federal Government to investigate alleged cases of political thuggery and violence on journalists and electorate during the supplementary election conducted in Kano State.

Isa Sanusi, the Amnesty International Spokesperson, made the call in an interview with BBC Hausa service, monitored by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Damaturu, Yobe.

“Amnesty International condemns the human rights violation during supplementary election exercise conducted in Kano especially on journalists and electorates.

“We therefore call on President Muhammadu Buhari to lunch an investigation into the issue.

“Extensive electoral security problems were observed in some areas, with groups of men with weapons intimidating and obstructing the process, and security agencies ineffective at protecting citizens’ right to vote.”

NAN reports that supplementary governorship elections were conducted in Bauchi, Benue, Kano, Plateau and Sokoto — where results from the March 9 initial ballot were declared inconclusive as the margin of victory was less than the cancelled votes.

INEC on Sunday declared Abdullahi Ganduje of the All Progressives Congress winner of the governorship supplementary election.

NAN reports that the European Union Election Observation Mission on Monday said that it witnessed organised violence and intimidation of voters during Saturday’s rerun in parts of Kano, Bauchi and Benue States.

Specifically, the Mission said police and party leaders failed to prevent attacks on electoral officials by youth gangs armed with clubs and machetes in Nasarawa Local Government Area of Kano State which accounted for one-third of all registered voters for the supplementary governorship election.

The EU EOM in a statement on the supplementary poll, stated that its observers could not access many polling units in Kano due to security concerns.