By Abdulgafar Oladimeji
Registered political parties billed to take part in the 2023 General Election, Thursday were absent from the stakeholders meeting convened by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deliberate on the proposed plan to stage an mock accreditation exercise using Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
The commission had summoned the political parties, civil society group, the media, security agencies and other critical stakeholders with the intent to discuss on how to carry out a hitch free presidential, governorship and parliamentary elections in the state.
Speaking at the meeting held at Mahmud Tukur theatre 1 , Bayero University Kano, BUK, director Centre For Democratic Studies, Mumbayya House Kano, professor Habu Fagge frowned at the absence of all the political parties from the strategic meeting.
Prof Habu rebuked the zero participation of political parties in the meeting, which he described as strategic to the success of the forth coming general election in the state.
He emphasized that such meetings are important, nothing that the attendance of key political actors is key towards the peaceful conduct of the 2023 general elections.
In his remarks, INEC Kano resident Electoral Commissioner, Amb Abdul Zango also lamented over the attitude of the political parties.
He said the commission had enjoyed support from various key stakeholders, in the state, said he was taken aback by the absence of the political parties at the crucial meeting.
He stressed that the meeting was convened to create a platform where the political parties will be reassured of INEC’s preparedness to conduct credible, free and fair 2023 elections.
In a related development, Department of State Services (DSS), Kano Command has warned political parties and their foot soldiers to henceforth desist from perpetrating activities that could lead to the breach of public peace in the state.
The head of operations at the command, Alhassan Musa Tiffi has warned that the service would not fold it arms to watch as criminal elements under the pretext of political activities continue to constitute threats to public peace.
Tiffi in a goodwill message at the meeting organized by INEC stated that as the 2023 general elections draws closer, the service is aware of the heightened activities of thuggery, destruction of public properties, such as billboards and other acts of criminality.
According to him, the service as a strategic intelligence gathering organ of government is alive to it’s responsibilities.
Tiffi who also frowned at the absence of the representatives of political.parties at the meeting cautioned that the full weight of the law will be invoked on any individual or group of persons, who constitute any form of threat to the conduct of the forth coming elections.
He reassured that the DSS is working in collaboration with sister security agencies to ensure a violent free election in the state
Our correspondent reports that the meeting was attended by members of the civil society organizations, media, paramilitary organizations, religious leaders and traditional rulers.
INEC is scheduled to conduct the BVAS mock exercise, on 4th February across the three senatorial zones in the state.
