Observers give Sokoto supplementary elections pass mark
The ongoing National Assembly supplementary election in Sokoto has received a commendation from Accredited Observers for the smooth arrangements put in place by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Observers, which consist of ten Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), acknowledged the impressive turnout of voters.
Ambassador Prince Emeka, the leader of the Observers, spoke to journalists saying, “We have seen the readiness of INEC, with regards to the modalities towards ensuring a peaceful and credible election.”
He further mentioned that the Commissioner of Police and other security heads in charge of the election guaranteed a peaceful atmosphere for the conduct of the election.
According to him, “Results so far from our colleagues across the twenty-three local governments indicate that the supplementary election is going on smoothly as electoral officers and materials arrived at polling units to commence voting on time.”
Emeka appealed to voters to shun vote buying and any form of electoral fraud, as men of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) are on the prowl.
David Danladi Isaac, a member of the INEC Accredited Observers and Executive Director of People’s Care Initiative, disclosed that proceedings and the outcome of the INEC stakeholders’ meeting held prior to the election, gave an inkling that all hands are on deck for a credible poll.
He stated, “The INEC stakeholders’ meeting with all and sundry in attendance cleared all grey areas concerning preparations and conducts of the supplementary election. Distribution of electoral materials was done in the presence of all stakeholders concerned.”
It is worth noting that in the previous Senatorial and House of Representatives elections held in Sokoto state, all three Senatorial seats and eleven House of Representatives seats were declared inconclusive, with the exception of the Yabo/Shagari House of Representatives seat, which was declared concluded lately in favour of Honourable Umar Yusuf Yabo of the PDP.