Kano INEC Commissioner Opens Up Over Destruction Of Election Materials
Kano State Commissioner for Local Government, Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo, has accused the police of manipulating facts over destruction of election materials at Nassarawa local government collation centre, saying “I have never tore any result sheet.”
Addressing a press conference on Thursday in Kano, Garo said the result was tore by two members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Faruk Lawal and Alhaji Nasiru Sule Garo respectively but they were not arrested by the police for reason best known by them.
Garo added that the electoral officer-in-charge of local government has testified that the two politicians were the ones who led some thugs and tore the result sheet of Gama ward.
The commissioner explained that the two PDP members went to the collation centre and tore the result sheet even before himself, Kano state deputy governor, Dr Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna and chairman of Nassarawa local government area, Alhaji Lamin Sani arrived at the scene.
He said, “An APC agent called and informed me about the development. I quickly informed the deputy governor, who later accompanied me together with Sani and we went there to see by ourselves.
That was the purpose we went there but some thugs descended on us and later I, the deputy governor and the chairman were arrested and taken to police headquarters on the allegation that we have tore the result sheet. If it is true that we tore it, where do they got it and announced the results later?
“It is evident that when we were taken to police command these people followed us there, and on our way, they blocked us on the road in the presence of the Area commandant (metro) and insulted us.
“In fact right inside the command, they raided all sort of insults on us and nobody stop them from doing so.
“Kwankwaso and some of his people including his orderly escorted us to the police command. And if police denied arresting Kano deputy governor why do they put him behind the canter? And they were there when some boys were insulting us why?”
Garo accused the police of being bias in discharging its duty.
According to him, “the police commissioner is being selective and bias in doing his job. The commissioner should have arrested Faruk Lawal and Nasiru Sule Garo who actually tore Gama ward’s result sheet, but he did not because he is bias and partisan.”
He said Kano state government was considering legal action against police over the arrest of the state deputy governor.
Police, through its Public Relations Officer, DSP Haruna Abdullahi, have denied arresting the state deputy governor, saying they only rescued him from being lynched by mob.
DSP Abdullahi explained that as law enforcement agency, police would not just fold its arms to allow the deputy governor to be attacked by some angry youths.
He said for the commissioner and local government chairman, they were accused of destroying election materials, hence arrested and investigation is still in progress.