Ebenezer Bababtope

 Former Minister of Transport, Chief Ebenezer Babatope has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against manipulating the rerun elections in states where last Saturday’s governorship elections were declared inconclusive.

Speaking with journalists on Wednesday, Babatope particularly warned the electoral umpire against manipulating the election in Kano state as such an action could portend danger for peace and stability in Nigeria and the African continent at large.

“I pray that INEC does not rig the rerun elections, especially in Kano State. If they do, they will be endangering the peace, unity and cohesion of Nigeria. There are many issues intertwined in the Kano election that require caution.

“From all said and done, Nigeria is still our country and definitely, a United Nigeria is good for Nigerians, Africa and the world
Kano is a political tinderbox and if they tamper with it, then they would have murdered peace in Nigeria and that will be very dangerous,” Babatope warned.

INEC had on Monday night through the State Returning Officer, Prof B. B. Shehu, the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Birnin Kebbi declared the governorship election in Kano State as inconclusive.

According to Prof. Shehu, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abba Kabir Yusuf polled 1,014, 474 votes while incumbent governor of the state and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje got 987,810, leaving Yusuf with a slim win margin of 26,655 votes.

The Returning Officer added that with 2,211,520 accredited voters, a total of 100,873 votes were cancelled across 172 polling units while rejected votes stood at 49,761.