Tunde Omolehin, Sokoto
A group under the auspice of 2019 Sokoto State Governorship Candidates Forum have defended the State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Alhaji Abubakar Sadeeq, over the allegation of bias levelled against him by a coalition of 31 political parties in the state.
The coalition had written an open advertorial letter against the INEC Commissioner in the state, citing political bia and favouritism during the last governorship election.
But the forum, through a statement signed by its Chairman and Secretary, Alhaji Sulaiman Aliyu and Malami S Galma, respectively, described the allegation as a calculated and sponsored blackmail to assail the REC’s integrity.
The forum stated that the clarification was necessary to set the record straight, as it was not speaking for or on behalf of the INEC Resident Commissioner.
According to the statement:
“Much as SOSGOCAF2019 considered silence as gold, we also feel otherwise that when silence is maintained in the face of bare falsehood, unsuspecting minds will be carried away by the wind of such falsehood.
“Let it be made abundantly clear that, from our experiences so far in the political terrain, the REC has not under whatever guise shown favoritism towards any candidate, political party or politician contrary to the claim by the coalition in the open letter.
“For us as former governorship candidate and peace loving people of Sokoto state, we consider the allegation o the REC’s long over stay very laughable. After all, his stay was never the making of anybody but God and the INEC who believes in his ability to once again conduct free, fair, credible and generally acceptable election as he did in 2015 and repeated same feat in 2019.”
The forum insisted that the continued stay or exit of the Resident Commissioner would have nothing to do with the ongoing governorship legal tussle in the state.