Supplementary election: Kwankwaso allegedly recruits thousands of hunters

Former Governor of the state, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, allegedly plans to use hunters to cause violence in the state on Saturday.

Kano is one the states where supplementary elections will hold.

The poll is keenly contested by Governor Abdullahi Ganduje of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Abba Kabir Yusuf of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared the governorship election inconclusive.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Riskuwa Shehu, explained that this was due to the high number of cancelled votes.

According to a Kano-based group, Ganduje Again, Kwankwaso’s strategy was to use the hunters to “protect” PDP votes because he doesn’t have confidence on the security agents.

He said: “I can confirm, that Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso have mobilized thousands of ‘yan tauri’ (hunters) who have been paid upfront to cause mayhem during the rerun election.

“The thugs were drafted within and outside Kano state in the guise of providing security for leaders of the PDP at all election rerun areas.

“Kwankwaso’s reason for deploying such massive number of hunters is to subdue security operatives and unleash terror and mayhem on APC supporters.”

Kwankwaso had granted local radio interview recently calling on his supporters to all participate in the re-run as party agents and security agents, noting that coming out in large numbers to provide security was the only sure way of protecting their votes.

Efforts to contact the police spokesman, DSP Abdullahi Kiyawa, proved abortive

Meanwhile, the APC has asked INEC to provide list of accredited observers ahead of Saturday’s election.

A statement on Wednesday by State Chairman, Abdullahi Abbas Sanusi, reads: “Sequel to the compelling evidences available to this party on the alleged multiple and over voting in the March 9th governorship election in some Local Government Areas of Kano State.

“It becomes imperative for us to request the card reader data of LGAs to enable us to compare with the declared result to ascertain the level of electoral malpractices.

“Information available to the APC suggests that a particular party is employing tactics of using people masquerading as observers to rig election in proposed rerun election.”