On Saturday, the Independent National Electoral Commission conducted bye-elections for various positions across the country. In this interview with our correspondent, Moses Gbande, Rt. Hon. Istifanus Caleb Mwansat speaks on the outcome of the election held for Pyabor Polling Unit, Pankshin South for the State Assembly Constituency.
As the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, what is your general assessment of the election held for Pankshin South State Constituency at Pyabor Polling unit on Saturday?
As you are aware, the re-run election was scheduled for 20th February and the election was held as scheduled. The elections started at 8am. By every standard, I was a candidate of this election. The major things that transpired during the election were access or no access to the voting area. Somebody has said it’s normal during elections like this to see people visiting elections points, be it right or wrong. But what was spectacular in this election, based on what happened at Pyabor polling unit, is heavy presence and influence that government officials had on the election. This is because the Deputy Governor, Prof. Sonni Tyoden, led a heavy delegation to Pyabor. The State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, the State Secretary of APC, six Local Government Management Committee Chairmen, the Attorney General of the State and two serving members of the Plateau State House of Assembly of the APC extraction were given free access to the polling venue. For me, as a candidate contesting the election, I believe morally and legally, I’m entitled to be there because you cannot give me a haircut in my absence and so, I went. At the turn to Pyabor, I was denied access. What surprised me was that prior to this election, the Commissioner of Police and even INEC have been on air to say that no unconventional security outputs is allowed to participate in this election in whatever way and particular reference was made to vigilante groups and some youth groups. But what happened there was; the vigilante and the irate youths took over every affair of the security network there. Ironically, the number of security personnel there was very high but they chose to look the other way, especially the Nigeria Police Force. On getting there, I introduced myself to the man in-charge of the mobile policemen that were stationed at the junction, one ASP Yakubu as inscribed on his name tag. I told him I’m a candidate for this election and so, I have to be there. But he said, well, your presence alone is creating so much agitation here, the boys may not agree. And I said well, I don’t have business with the boys, that is why I’m introducing myself to you, except if you are telling me that it’s these boys that dictate to you what to do. He said that he is not in a position to do anything over the situation. I was there with some of my supporters and at this point, they were already getting agitated too; so when I realized that it was becoming so tensed, I calmed my supporters and for peace to rain, we pulled back. Later on, the Deputy Speaker and all the PDP Members of the House of Assembly came and they were denied access too. While they were arguing on whether they should be allowed to go in or not, the Commissioner of Police, who was inside, was returning from the voting point and met the members at that same junction. The Deputy Speaker lodged a complaint before the Commissioner of Police, asking why they are being denied access to the polling unit and said that it is because they are from Pyabor and so have no business there. Then he asked them if the Deputy Governor, the State Chairman of APC, the State Secretary of APC, the Six Local Government Management Committee Chairmen, the Attorney General of the State and the two serving members of the Plateau State House of Assembly of the APC sitting there are from Pyabor that is why they were allowed access and he was speechless. How can you allow them to pass and you say as the Deputy Speaker of the House, my colleagues and I cannot pass because we are not from there?
How come it is the vigilante groups that are doing the work of the Police?
We were left completely at the mercy of God and our two agents only, but even our agents too were overwhelmed. I would want to say without fear or mincing words that the Police at that polling unit were compromised. Money exchanged hands and we have it on record and we have it on camera. A three star DSP, who was leading the team, I have his name and the camera captured when N100,000 was given to him by the APC Chairman. I am saying this because I can substantiate. The Presiding Officer officially declared to the hearing of everybody that voting has closed since the last person on the queue has cast his vote. This was around 6pm and sorting and counting was supposed to commence. It was after that announcement that some people were then brought in to come and cast their votes. I don’t know whether those people were brought in or if it is the same people that were being recycled. When it became an issue, it was the same policeman that came forward to say that the community took permission from him that they were going to come and vote late and that he granted their request, so they should be allowed to vote. We are talking of federal police here and we have been agitating for State Police. I wonder what would have happened if it were State Policemen. I know and I believe that these things were done in connivance with the Government of the day because the Deputy Governor was sited there and all these things happened under his nose.
Considering these series of events, what step are you taking?
Well, I contested the election on the platform of the PDP and not as an independent candidate, so I cannot take any decision on my own regarding this matter. It is left for my party to sit, consider all these issues and then decide the best line of action to be taken. Right now, I don’t think my party has a full grasp of what transpired talk more of studying it and making a decision.
With what has happened, what do you think this portends for democracy?
I am realizing with recent developments that there are two kinds of democracies. We have the real democracy which we all know and there is a democracy that is being introduced by people who call themselves the change agents. This kind of democracy under this change thing is new form of democracy we are yet to learn from because of the level of desperation of the APC is not good for democracy in Nigeria. They think what PDP has achieved within 16 years can be achieved by APC within one year, which is not possible.
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