Why APC Are Desperate To Win Ogun And Kano States

 By Gift Osaze

Recent developments has shown that that the All progressive Congress, APC And  the people’s Development Party, PDP, are desperate to win Ogun and Kano states at costs. The APC, appears to have taking taking of the federal to manipulate the conduct of the eelection under the close watch of the PDP and the opposition coalition CUPP. The deployment of three former Commissioners of police , CP and the seizure of 17 sacks of thumb printed ballot papers, in Kano state, for the post-poned February 16, 2019, Presidential election, speaks volume.  This is because of the voting strength of the two states. Note that Ogun state  APC National Youth Presidential Council had promised to deliver two million votes to President Muhammadu Buhari, of the APC, who is seeking re-election if the election had been held as planned while Abdullahi Gandunje, the Kano  state governor promised to deliver five million votes to the APC  Candidate if the election had been held on february 16.

The postponment of the election to february 23, 2019,  may have provided the opportunity for the  ruling APC and their agents to perfect plans to manipulate the election .  

Rcall that Mohammed Abubakar Adamu. the acting Inspector General of police, has deployed three additional Commissioners of police, CP to Ogun state,.  to compliment the efforts of  Ahmed Iliyasu, the substantive CP ahead of the postponed Presidential election.

They are Fimhan Adeoye, Gbenga Adeyanju and Yemi Agunbiade, all former CPs of  Osun, Ondo and Osun states respectively. The deployment of the three former CPs to the troubled state , according to a senior police source was because of their knowledge and understanding f the terrain and the  people having served in the states south west sub-region.

Given an insider information about the responsibilities of the of the three former CPs deployed to the home state of former President Olusegun Obasnjo, Jubril Yakubu, A Deputy Inspector General of Police, DIG A,  in-charge of election duties  said Adeoye  would oversee the election in Ogun West Senatorial district, Agunbiade, Ogun East while Adeyanju has been placed in-charge of Ogun Central Senatorial  district.  this may have been done to cape the PDP agents in the state and Ibikunle Amosu, the govenor of the state, who has an axe to grind with the party from actualising his plans.

Yakubu, the police DIG, was said to have told stakeholders at a meeting on Thursday, February 14, 2019, at the state  police Command Headquarters  that theere was no cause to worry about the action taken by the police Authority  to beef up security in the south west  state . He disclosed that the action was taken  to ”ensure  a free and fair elections in the state”.  In what is regarded as a Coup against election riggers in the state,  the police DIG declared , ” we are ready for the elections”, urging the people to come out en masse to vote during the election without any fear of molestation.

Many had expected the IGP to approve the deployment of additional CPs to Kano state, home state of Senator Ibrahim Kwankwaso,  where  Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, the state governor has promised to deliver five million votes to Buhari in the election to support Wakili Mohammed, the CP, in policing the state to forestall riggers.

last Wednesday, the the police has arrested alleged agents of Ganduje , the state governor with 17 sacks of thumb printed  ballot papers  which were said to be mostly in favour of Buhari, the APC, Presidential Candidate.  The exhibits , according to Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, Spokes person of the Opposition ,  coalition CUPP, may be released going by pressures on Adamu , the acting IGP to do so.

Appealing to people to visit the Kano state police Command  where the suspects  have been taken to  avoid  the sacks  being taken away  , Ugochinyere said that is the only way  people would believe how desperate politicians could be to win election at all costs. This is a state that  delivered about two million votes to Buhari in the 2015 , Presidential election that  made him to beat Former President Goodluck Jonathan in the state.  Kwankwaso, who was a member of the APC , may have known the rigging strategy in  state that he was said to have put his men on the alert to watch over suspicious movements with heavy sacks and report to the police. This may have informed the reason why it was easy for the police o nab the three suspects with the 17 alleged thumb printed ballot boxes. 

 The police may have found it an impossible crime to cover up  that Mohammed, the Metro Police CP, has no option but to open up on Friday, February 15, 2019. He disclosed  that the suspects and the items  were apprehended on Wednesday, February 13, 2019, by some officers attached  to the Metro  Police Area Command.

According the police boss, the suspects  had confessed  to have come from Jigawa state stressing that  the materials  were meant  for the purpose Sensitization and Orientation. He said the matter has been transferred to the Criminal Investigation Department, CID, for further Investigation.  the question on the lips of most is: how could the suspect could have confessed to have come from Jigawa and who was behind the action?

As a prelude to ensuring proper policing of the election process, the acting IGP, had earlier approved the deployment of 24, 000 Mobile policemen, 400 Counter-Terrorism  operatives and 800 officers from the Special Protection Unit , SPU, of the Force to the states and the FCT.

It was not surprising why the number one Police Corp has repeatedly assured the President and Mahmood Yakubu, a Professor and Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC,  that the” police  were ready  for the elections ” as it would not ”condone  condone any act of thuggery  or violence. The security assurance from the IGP may given the INEC  Chairman the confidence to talk with Authority why accrediting the International Observers for the general elections that their security is guaranteed to do their work. Buhari corroborated the IGP’s claim when by assuring the ”Diplomatic  Community and Foreign Observers  of their Safety and Protection.

Meanwhile, the police IGP, was said to have directed the CPs  to ”enforce  the 300-meter  distance  stipulation  to ensure  safety  at the polling units”.  In a related development, Perhaps, to keep to his promsise of a ”free, fair and credible general elections, he has urged Nigerians ”not to allow  personal, religious , sectional or party interests  to drive  us to  desperation”.  The Katsina state born Nigerian President recalled that ”it was through ” such a free, fair  and peaceful elections that his government emerged ” in  the 2015 election.  The postment of the election to February 23, may have provided ammunition for the INEC officials , APC and the PDP as well as the security agencies to go back to drawing board to  block identified loopholes and devise new ones  to manipulate the election.