APC loyalists storm Kano INEC office, reject Gov-elect, Abba Gida-Gida

Some supporters of the All Progressives Congress, APC staged a protest, marched to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Kano State on Wednesday, March 22.

The supporters of the ruling party staged the protest against the victory of Abba Kabir Yusuf of New Nigeria People Party (NNPP) at state governorship poll.

The political demonstrators carried placards with different inscriptions on, and went chanting different protest songs.

Some suspected thugs tried to hijack the protest, as they attempted to force traders to close their shops for the day.

INEC declared Yusuf the winner of the state governorship elections which took place on Saturday March 18.

He got 1,019,602 votes to defeat his closest challenger, APC’s candidate, Nasir Gawuna, who had 890,705 votes.

The APC’s candidate Gawuna on Tuesday March 21, said he expected the electoral commission to declare an inconclusive election.

He added that it was obvious that his NNPP rival lost the guber election.

But the chairman of the NNPP in Kano, Umar Haruna Doguwa, in a statement said his party won the election and accused the state government of causing violence, attacking the residents of the state because of their defeat.

“The people of Kano may recall that few minutes after the historic declaration, the NNPP governor elect Engr. Abba K. Yusuf through his Spokesperson Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa had issued a statement urging all supporters to conduct themselves in a peaceful manner during the celebration of the party’s victory, while my humble self as the NNPP State chairman was on air in various radio stations calling for a peaceful celebration which all party faithful adhered to.”

“The NNPP is in possession of credible information that the Kano state government is organizing another spate of violence in the name of protest against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security forces working in Kano over the failure of APC to win the just concluded gubernatorial election.

“We therefore call on all security agencies, to as a matter of responsibility be proactive as the Kano state government becomes a mad lion trying to create another round political crisis in the state.”