The Coalition of Democracy Monitors for Credible Elections (CDMCE) has called on the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to investigate an alleged case of political thuggery and violence on governorship aspirant, Sha’aban Ibrahim Sharada and his supporters at the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election in Kano.
The convener of CDMCE Comrade Balarabe Rufai, who made the call while briefing reporters yesterday in Abuja said: “We are disturbed by the level of uncontrolled desperation expressed in the use of brutal means by some Kano politicians backed by the government to sway delegates to their sides and intimidate opponents.
“We draw the attention of the Kano State Police Command and the leadership of the APC to the need to investigate and punish the perpetrators and also to immediately nullify the so-called primary election that was marred with a lot of irregularities, vote-buying and intimidation,” he said.
He also demanded other security agencies conduct an urgent and thorough investigation into Sharada’s petition that he received news of an attack on his supporters while he was at the venue of the election and that thugs were hired to kill him, forcing him to rush to the hospital where the victims were received.
Rufai noted that the group has made similar representations to the International Human Rights Commission of the United Nations and other international agencies and bodies, calling for their immediate intervention to avert a bloody 2023 election in Kano and other places.
While explaining further, Rufai said the coalition has observed the emerging trends in the ongoing party primaries towards the 2023 general elections, especially the rising use of sponsored thugs and weapons during the governorship primaries of the APC in Kano State.
He said: “As concerned citizens of Nigeria and representatives of the younger emasculated younger generation, we are particularly worried about reported incidences of brutality meted on a new generation governorship aspirant, Sha’aban Ibrahim Sharada and his supporters at the APC primary election in Kano.
“We are thus concerned because Sharada happens to be the only young man with the courage to challenge Dr Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna, the anointed candidate for the state governor.
“Few minutes to the commencement of the exercise, he was cautioned by a security official not to come to the venue of the election. He received a text message from the primary election committee chairman in the person of Senator Tijjani Kaura who urged me to be in the venue to start the election,” he said.