APC, PDP bicker in Sokoto over governorship election

Palpable tension is brewing in Sokoto State ahead of the governorship and House of Assembly elections slated for this weekend.

At different fora, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have accused each other of conniving with security agencies to scuttle the electoral process in the state.

APC, in it first press conference addressed by its chairman, Sadiq Acida, accused PDP of conniving with security agencies during the presidential and National Assembly elections to deploy young men with dangerous weapons to attack voters and electoral officials.

He urged the security agencies to investigate incidence of deliberate destruction of ballot boxes, fish out and prosecute the culprits and their sponsors.

Forty-eight hours later, the APC organised another press conference alleging that Governor Aminu Tambuwal arrogated powers of security to PDP thugs at polling units in the March 11 polls in the state.

Acida, reacting to the gathering of PDP stalwarts at a stakeholders’ meeting, said APC would not tolerate Tambuwal’s alleged directive to PDP thugs to seize any APC supporter seen at the polling centres on election day.

PDP, during a stakeholders’ meeting in the state earlier, had called on its members across the state to ensure their votes are protected against manipulation henceforth.

The meeting, with Tambuwal in attendance, thoroughly reviewed all infractions noticed during the presidential election and vowed never to allow the use of foul means to usurp power as it was done in the past.

The PDP leaders berated the action of security agencies, especially the police, who reportedly allowed themselves to be used by APC campaign director to manipulate the poll.

Consequently, the Commissioner of Police, Useni Gumel, warned that any person or group of persons seen with weapon of any sort would be regarded as an enemy of the state and the country and would be dealt with according to the law.