By Ibrahim Abdulganiyu Surajo
To start with; On May 14, 2022 Daily Nigerian reported that Mr Hafiz Abubakar a Professor of nutrition, while delivering a public lecture in Kano stated and I quote “In a civilized society, Gawuna and Garo should be in prison”. This literally means an insult to the entire people of Kano by indirectly describing them as “Uncivilized” people. On the above, I wish to call on the Professor of nutrition to as a matter of urgency tender an unreserved apology to the entire people of Kano. I will further quote “I take the example of Kano today. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, today in Kano, we have billboards which are celebrating those people that led to the inconclusive election of 2019, whose video is nationally and internationally available, showing the two of them, going to the polling station to disrupt and steal votes”.
On the above allegations mated on Gawuna and Garo I will like to add and clarify that, the duo went there upon receipt of a report over some suspected activities that may not favor them. Whereas some elements took the advantage of social media sending all sorts of negativities. Additionally, Professor of nutrition may wish to note that; Kano people are civil and leaving in a civilized society (Kano). Hence the reason why after your party petitioned against the labelled allegations you made against the party of Gawuna and Garo to the Commission , a civilized Professor answered and corrected your party claims as quoted below:
“I write to acknowledge receipt of your petition on the above subject matter. I also wish to inform you that the Commission received reports from the Gama Registration Area Collation Officer and Nasarawa Local Government Collation Officer to the effect that Collation process at the Local Government was disrupted at the Nasarawa Local Government Area Collation Centre for Governorship and State House of Assembly elections.The following observations were made in respect of your submission:
You cited that the Gama Registration Area (RA) has 88 Polling Units, whereas, it has 62 Polling Units and 26 Voting Points.The attached Annexure ‘A’ which you titled “Summary of Statement of Results of Poll From Polling Unit Election to the Office of Governor Kano State (FORM EC8A)” showing votes scored by PDP and APC contains 77 entries NOT 62 and 18 of the entries carry the serial numbers of result sheets for voting points (see serial nos. 8, 9, 16, 17,18, 19, 20, 23, 28, 38, 45, 50, 51, 54, 57, 60, 66, 71 and 76) while the remaining 59 entries carry serial numbers of result sheets for polling units. Please note that Voting Points cannot stand alone as Polling Units.The Annexure ‘B’ which you titled “Copies of the Polling Units of Gama Registration Area result sheets” contains seventy (70) pages and not seventy seven (77). Also the manually paginated sheets of the EC8A and EC8A (VP), have no pages 13, 32, 33, 41, 43, 44, 45, 46 and 75. Page 61 was misplaced in the sequential arrangement. Three other attachments were not paginated.
The result sheets for voting points (EC8A (VP)) are pages 8, 9, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23, 28, 38, 50, 51, 54, 57, 60, 66, 71 and 76. Please also note that the result sheet EC8A (VP) with number 0011188 paged as 51 was attached twice and the duplicated copy is among those not paginated.This means a total sixty nine (69) different result sheets were attached as Annexure B out of which Eighteen (18) are for voting points. So in total, you have attached fifty two (52) result sheets for polling units instead of sixty two (62). Also note that entry with serial no. 45 in Annexure A with form number 0011179 is for voting point and is among those not attached in Annexure B.You erroneously computed the results of voting points together with those of polling units in arriving at the scores you recorded for both PDP and APC in your Annexure A.This amounts to duplication because the results from such Voting Points had earlier been transferred to mother Polling Units during Collation at Polling Unit level.The Commission is not in receipt of any document validly signed to establish the veracity of your claim on the result of Gubernatorial or State Assembly election for GAMA RA.The Ward Collation Officer for GAMA RA, in his report acknowledged the receipt of EC8A from all Presiding Officers and had completed EC8B for presentation at the LGA Collation Center before the crisis that erupted at the Collation Center. These were the primary and secondary sources for regenerating results but were lost in the unfortunate incident. Also, please note, that security personnel do not “endorse” any election result to make it valid.From the report of the Nasarawa Local Government Collation Officer, the Gama Ward Collation Officer began presentation of the results he collated at the ward level but was stopped and instructed to go and reconcile the figures which could not tally. In addition, he was asked to write the names of all the Polling Units on the EC8B instead of the codes alone.Twice he had to be sent back because the figures did not tally.This reconciliation took over 18 hours without reaching a conclusion due to disagreement on the entries made on the EC8B between the Agents of Political Parties.The LGA Collation Center was attacked and vandalized before the process was completed.In line with the provision of Regulations and Guideline for the conduct of Elections, Schedule I (6&7), the Commission regenerated the results for 10 other wards from Forms EC8A and EC8B that were under its custody. In respect of Gama RA, collation at the LGA was not concluded and the original copies of EC8A and EC8B could not be obtained because all the results were lost in the fracas. Please also be informed that the position of the Commission is very clear in respect of recounting of Ballot Papers. It can only be carried out once at the Polling Unit level on request from any party agent.That the documents submitted by you as Annexures A and B cannot be used to regenerate the ‘results of Gama RA because of the discrepancies observed and pointed out.That the reference and comparison of the Commission’s decision in respect of Bauchi Governorship election is not tenable because they have entirely different scenarios.That the ‘Margin of Lead’ in Ogun as cited in your final prayer is not comparable to the situation in Kano.The Commission wishes to state emphatically that a supplementary election In Gama Registration Area alongside other Registration Areas and Polling Units where cancellations were made due to violence and over-voting in the state remains the only viable option for the Commission to conclude the process of conducting gubernatorial election in Kano State”.
Finally, arriving from the above corrections made by a civilized Professor against the claims or allegations made against Gawuna and Garo by a Professor of nutrition; and the thinking to challenge the verdict of a Court of competent jurisdiction, vis a vis insulting Kano people by calling us uncivilized society, I wonder to know who supposed be in prison. A professor should always speak from the intellectual perspective and with integrity. Thank you and may God bless our Kano.
Ibrahim Abdulganiyu Surajo, writes from Tukuntawa,Kano State
