A Bauchi State frontline politician and 2023 All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial aspirant Hon. Farouk Mustapha, has called on the State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) to save the state from any violent acts that may emanate from the forthcoming local government area councils election should it connive with any party to rig the elections.
Speaking with our correspondent on phone, Mustapha said: “SIEC should not attempt to play a funny game by taking sides in the conduct of the elections. As the constitutional umpire, it should strive to maintain neutrality, be impartial in the conduct of the elections and declare results at the polling units in each of the wards and in the presence of all instead of in any other location it may designate other than the ones already outlined and known by all.
“We are receiving disturbing reports from our monitoring officers of ongoing plans to rob the victories of other contesting parties through carefully planned strategies by the ruling party, PDP that may not work unless with the active connivance of the umpire.
“Our party has agreed to participate in the elections in the interest of the democracy and to save the Councils from the continuation of underdevelopment associated imposing caretaker committees that serve as mere errand boys of their imposters.
“APC shall stand firm to make sure that results are declared at the polling units where the votes were cast. We have to be sure of the source of the ballot papers for use, credibility record of the printing company, total number of ballot papers and other voting materials printed and how the ballot papers were delivered to SIEC with or without police escort because we know how riggers usually connive with contracted printing companies to either print fake ballot papers or provide a surplus for rigging purpose”, he said.
The frontline politician added that should SIEC attempt to connive with any participating interested party to rig the forthcoming elections, APC shall resist such attempt in the best interest of the democracy and not with violence, “security agents and accredited non-governmental organizations should keenly monitor the conduct of the elections as there are ongoing plans to rig the elections by drowning politicians who have messed up the democracy in their bid to remain floating without substance and at the expense of grassroots development”.
Speaking on the recent allegation of ‘racial’ discrimination by indigenes of Katagum local government (Azare) against indigenes of other components of Bauchi North geo-political zone, the politician said: “That is the friction of an imagination coming from agents of destabilization and unity enjoyed in Bauchi North.
“Bauchi North remains a united socio-political entity that has contributed tremendously to the development of Bauchi state and Nigeria over the years and that cannot be denied or debated.
“The geopolitical zone is blessed with all it takes to save Bauchi State and Nigeria from inept and clueless leadership. It is a zone that has saved Bauchi state and Nigeria from the administrative vacuum and still forging ahead with its united support to good governance irrespective of who pilots the affairs of any deserving community that is now a source of envy to those failed politicians from the region that have connived with their like minds in other climes to destroy the unity of the zone for selfish interest.
“In Bauchi North, we cherish our unity and as a vow to the development of Bauchi state and Nigeria, we shall continue to maintain and protect that unity no matter the baseless efforts from morons to destroy that unity that was built over the years.
“We know those sponsors of the destructive plan, we know where it was hatched but it will not succeed. We all know the game which is against 2023. We are equal to the task and we shall continue to defend and protect out unity for the good of all. We have extended that unity to cover other components of the state in our collective desire for a better Bauchi state and Nigeria”
