By Habibu Harisu, Sokoto.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it suspended the Feb. 25 National Assembly election in Sokoto State, after discovering some anomalies in the process.
Retired Maj.-Gen. Modibbo Alkali, the INEC National Commissioner redeployed to oversee the state, made the clarification at a stakeholders’ meeting on Wednesday in Sokoto.
Alkali said that the discovery led to the removal of the state INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), among other things.
He promised that the commission would strengthen its system to correct the observed lapses and ensure that the March 11 Governorship and State of Assembly elections were credible.
“INEC noticed the abnormalities on time and decided to suspend the Feb. 25 National Assembly election in Sokoto State.
“You can see that none of the National Assembly member from Sokoto State has been issued with the certificate of return yet.
“The electoral body is reviewing the whole activities, with view to correcting and rectifying all the anomalies to ensure free, fair and credible election,” he said.
Alkali urged political parties and other stakeholders to support INEC in efforts toward hitch-free elections, saying that security agencies had been mobilised to ensure the security of lives and property during Saturday’s election.
He reiterated that INEC would continue to remain neutral at all times while conducting elections, so as to ensure its credibility at all times, cautioning Nigerians, particularly youths against violence and election malpractices.
Representatives of different political parties at the meeting gave their views on how INEC can work toward free, fair and credible election on Saturday.
It would be recalled that the Feb. 25 election was marred by violence in at least 471 polling units across the state.
