25th March, 2019
The Coalition of INEC Accredited observers for the re-run governorship election in Kano State has advised losers and other aggrieved politicians to channel their complaints through established legal processes.
The leader of the group, Dr Ibrahim Baba, gave the advice at a news conference in Kano on Monday following the declaration of the incumbent governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje as the winner of the re-run election.
He said there was need for those who felt cheated during the Saturday’s March 23 supplementary election to seek legal redress instead of disseminating false information and inciting people for violence.
“We call on the winners/losers to respect the rule of law and call on their supporters to remain peaceful and law abiding.
“They should also refrain from disseminating false Information and channel their grievances through established legal processes,’’ Baba said.
The leader of the group, who represents Centre for Intervention, commended security agents for maintaining the highest level of professionalism before, during and after the conduct of the exercise.
He said the collaborative relationship between INEC and Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security contributed to the generally peaceful atmosphere in the state.
Baba said: “despite some reports of election-related violence and intimidation, the overall political climate in the entire state during the election remained largely peaceful and conducive for the conduct of democratic elections.
“We also observed significant improvement on the issues raised during the March 9 election like the card reader and other electoral materials on the unpreparedness of INEC.’’
The group commended the citizens of the state for their resilience, commitment, dedication and steadfastness toward this great democratic venture.