Sokoto South Senate seat: Tambuwal petitions INEC

* Frowns at listing concluded polling units for supplementary election

By Lateef Ibrahim, Abuja

Sokoto State Governor and candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for the Sokoto South Senatorial district, Hon. Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, has petitioned the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
Prof Mahmood Yakubu over the listing of polling units where elections had been concluded and results declared for the April 15, 2023 supplementary elections.
The petition by Tambuwal to the INEC Chairman was written by his lawyer, Mr. S.I. Ameh SAN.
Tambuwal expressed the firm hope that
what he called, “these obvious irregularities” will be cured, especially having brought them to the notice of the INEC Chairman.
The Governor, in his petition, stated as follows:
“Consequent upon the Commission’s publication of the areas slated for the April 15th 2023 rerun across the country, our Client’s attention was drawn to certain Polling Units under his Senatorial District, where elections were successfully conducted, concluded and results validly announced and collated in Forms EC8B (1).
“To our Client’s surprise and chagrin, some of the Polling Units in question, where Elections were duly concluded, have now suddenly resurfaced as part of the places listed for the said proposed Rerun.
“We have, for the purposes of verification, your urgent attention and intervention, compiled the list of the affected Polling Units and urge you to delist the said Polling Units from the list of Polling Units where a rerun Election will take place on the 15th day of April, 2023 in view of the fact that elections cannot be conducted twice in a Polling Unit, which had no issues.
“Attached are the various Forms EC8B (1) properly highlighted, and an itemized summary of the affected Polling Units, for ease of reference.
“We do hope that these obvious irregularities are cured, especially having brought them to your notice and attention promptly and within time.
The Governor, in his petition, expressed the strong belief that the listing of the concluded polling units is the latest in the well-laid and orchestrated plan against him.
He alleged that the February 25, 2023 Sokoto South Senatorial Election was the target of internal and external forces bent on extracting a pound of flesh from Governor Tambuwal.
According to the petition, “Tambuwal was leading comfortably and was awaiting his formal declaration. All of a sudden, violence erupted in some polling units, giving the compromised Resident Electoral Commissioner and field officers the excuse to declare the election inconclusive.
“In their haste and determination to complete their evil design, they still included polling units where elections have been concluded in the list for supplementary elections.
“It is expected that INEC will take a critical look at the list for supplementary elections in Sokoto South Senatorial Zone, clean it up and without delay release the authentic list.
“INEC is also expected to identify their officers involved in this electoral fraud. “Meting out exemplary punishment to them will help break the cycle of impunity and restore the confidence of the people in the electoral process,”, he concluded.