Nigeria: Zamfara PDP Accuses IGP of Deploying Police Officers to Help APC Rig Election Result

20 March 2023
Premium Times (Abuja)
By Mohammed Babangida

The police did not respond to requests for comment.

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Zamfara State, Dauda Lawal, has alleged that the Inspector General of Police, Alkali Baba, has deployed a team of special operatives to rig the election in the northwestern state.

Mr Lawal, in a statement by his media office on Monday in Gusau, accused the Inspector General of conniving with Governor Bello Matawalle to rig the governorship election in the latter's favour.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the results of 12 local governments out of 14 in the state.

The PDP candidate is leading having won nine out of the 12 areas collated. Mr Matawalle of the APC won the remaining three local governments and also trails the PDP candidate in the overall results.

"Our major concern is the interference of the Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba," Mr Lawal's office alleged. "We raised the alarm on election day that there was no police presence across the state. It was a plot by the Zamfara State commissioner of police to aid the ruling APC in manipulating the process."

"Our verified sources have confirmed to us that the Inspector General of Police has deployed a team of special forces to Zamfara. They were flown to Sokoto from Abuja. We have learned that they are on their way coming into Zamfara to cause chaos and create tension in the state capital.

Mr Lawal said he has lost confidence in the resident electoral commissioner of the state, asking the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman to call the REC to order.

"Zamfara State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) is intentionally delaying the process of the announcement of the result, giving the governor room for manipulation.

"All collated results from 14 local government areas are ready and in the state collation centre. We don't know why they are delaying the process.

"The president, security agencies, and international observers should pay close attention to the process in Zamfara state," the statement added.

The police spokesperson in the state, Mohammed Shehu, did not respond to calls and SMS sent to him on the allegations.

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