The Kwankwasiyya Movement has accused a staff member of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of colluding with unauthorised persons to facilitate the substitution of some of its candidates in Kano State.
The accusation was made during a protest by hundreds of Kwankwasiyya Movement supporters at INEC’s Kano State office on Friday. The protesters submitted a petition demanding an investigation into the alleged irregularities and the omission of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) governorship candidate, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, from the commission’s list.
Speaking in an interview, the spokesperson for the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Dr Habib Mohammed, alleged that some letters containing suspected forged signatures had been submitted to INEC headquarters, leading to the substitution of some candidates in Kano State.
He said the movement wanted the commission to investigate how the letters were received and acted upon, insisting that only duly authorised party officials should communicate with INEC on candidate nominations.
“We believe an INEC staff member colluded with some unauthorised people to conceal a decision that led to the substitution of some of our candidates,” Mohammed said.
He added that the movement had seen multiple letters submitted to INEC headquarters, some of which it suspected contained forged signatures.
According to him, the allegations were among the reasons the group decided to submit a formal petition to the commission.
Mohammed said the movement had asked INEC to investigate the staff member before deciding on further action.
He, however, expressed satisfaction with the reception given to the delegation by the Kano Resident Electoral Commissioner, Abdu Zango, who assured them that the petition would be forwarded to the commission’s national headquarters.
“He received us very well and assured us that he would do what was necessary within his powers. We expect him to forward the petition to the headquarters, and he assured us that he would do so today,” he said.
Earlier, the deputy governorship candidate, Mustapha Kwankwaso, who led the protest on behalf of Gwarzo, said the party had complied with INEC’s rules and regulations on candidate nominations.
He described the omission of the governorship candidate from the list as unjust and called for the matter to be addressed.
Responding to the protesters, Zango said INEC had received their complaints and would give the petition the necessary attention.
He explained that the commission had already stated the reasons for the omission and provided an opportunity for affected parties to appeal by October 24.
“What they came to do is to present a complaint about the omission of their candidates. INEC has made the reasons for the omission clear and provided a window for appeal up to October 24,” Zango said.
He added that the petition would be forwarded to the national headquarters for consideration, stressing that the Kano office remained neutral in the matter.
Zango also commended the protesters for presenting their grievances peacefully and in an orderly manner.
Kwankwasiyya accuses INEC staff of colluding to substitute Kano candidates