The Kano State Police Command says it has arrested no fewer than 288 suspected political thugs armed with dangerous weapons in four local government areas where Saturday’s bye-election was held.
The Command’s spokesperson, SP Abdullahi Haruna, confirmed the arrests in a telephone interview, noting that the suspects were picked up while allegedly attempting to disrupt the electoral process.
“As at 1:00 p.m. today (Saturday), 288 thugs were apprehended with dangerous weapons in the local government areas where the bye-election is going,” Haruna said.
Items recovered from the suspects included one pump-action rifle, four locally-made guns, cutlasses, and sticks, among other weapons. According to police, some of the thugs were arrested alongside their alleged sponsors.
PDP Rejects Election Outcome
Meanwhile, the Kano State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the bye-election into the Shanono/Bagwai State Constituency seat, claiming the exercise was marred by intimidation, violence, and electoral irregularities.
Addressing journalists on Saturday, the state PDP chairman, Yusuf Ado Kibiya, condemned the conduct of the poll, describing it as unacceptable.
“We, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano State, express deep concern over the prevailing conduct surrounding the bye-election for the Shanono/Bagwai State Assembly Seat,” Kibiya said.
“The death of the former representative last year has already placed a heavy burden on our constituents, who deserve a transparent, peaceful, and credible process. We are alarmed by reports of intimidation, thuggery, and other actions that undermine the democratic process. Such conduct not only endangers lives but destroys public trust in our democratic institutions.”
The PDP urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to guarantee a level playing field for all 10 participating parties by strictly enforcing electoral laws, ensuring timely provision of voting materials, and protecting voters.
It also called on security agencies to uphold the right to peaceful assembly, protect voters from harassment, and clamp down decisively on violence and vote-buying.
Furthermore, the opposition party appealed to both the Kano State Government and national leaders to avoid inflammatory statements or actions that could heighten tensions, stressing the need for transparency and credibility in the electoral process.
Kibiya concluded with a call for thorough investigations into all reported violations of electoral laws and for the perpetrators to be sanctioned in line with the law, “to deter future misconduct.”
