The New Nigeria People’s Party, NNPP, has written a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, raising an alarm over alleged plans to rig the governorship and state assembly elections in Kano State.
The petition, dated March 16 and addressed to the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, alleged that some politicians in Tarauni Local Government Area of the state had perfected plans to connive with the INEC’s Supervisory Presiding Officers, SPOs, to rig the forthcoming elections.
The petition, sent to DAILY NIGERIAN on Thursday, was titled; ‘Petition Against the Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs) Posted to Tarauni Local Government Kano State for Alleged Conspiracy and Connivance with Politicians to Undermine the Electoral Process’.
In the petition, the NNPP claimed that information available to it revealed that a series of conservations were ongoing between one SPO and some politicians.
According to the petition, an SPO with a phone number: 08035179386 had posted a message in a WhatsApp group reminding other members that one Habu P.A. is the APC candidate for the State Assembly elections in the local government, urging other SPOs to ensure they quickly contact the Local Government Chairman before Saturday.
In the post, the SPO said that they would not accept anything less than $5,000 this time around.
The party noted that, “some unscrupulous elements among the SPOs are determined to connive with APC to truncate and undermine the credibility of the forthcoming elections.”
NNPP, therefore, called on the REC to take necessary action.
“We write to notify you of a conspiracy and connivance by some Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOS) posted to Tarauni Local Government which is aimed at undermining the credibility of the forthcoming Gubernatorial and State House of Assembly electoral process in the LGA.
“The information available to us revealed series of conservations going on among them, where one SPO with phone number 08035179386 posted a message in the group reminding other members that one Habu P.A. is the APC candidate for the State Assembly elections in the Local Govt and he urged their representatives (among the SPOS) as usual, to ensure they quickly contact the local Govt. chairman and APC State Assembly Candidate (Habu P.A.) before Saturday.
“The SPO added that they should not accept anything less than $5,000 this time around. This position was supported by some members of the group.
“Based on the foregoing, it is clear that some unscrupulous elements among the SPOs are determined to connive with APC to truncate and undermine the credibility of the forthcoming elections. Hence, we call on your respected office to take the necessary action. Attached is the Whatsapp Screenshot of the group conversation.
“Thank you in anticipation of your prompt action,” the petition concluded.
