By Rafiyat Sadiq
The Athena Election Observatory (AEO) has raised concerns over the scale of security mobilisation ahead of Saturday’s supplementary election in Kaura Namoda North, Zamfara State.
In a statement on Thursday, the observatory’s Head of Communications, Aliyu Jalal, noted that the re-run will take place in only five polling units, covering just 3,265 collected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). He said the level of security deployment appeared disproportionate to the scope of the exercise.
“The presence of security is important to ensure a safe voting environment. Deployments should be appropriate to the local context to support a smooth electoral process,” Jalal said.
The supplementary poll follows the inconclusive outcome of the August 17 by-election, which the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared due to a narrow margin of lead. The affected polling units are located in Sakajiki and Kyambarawa Wards.
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AEO reminded security agencies of INEC guidelines, which require officers at polling units to provide protection without interfering in the process, act only under lawful INEC instructions, and ensure their presence builds voter confidence. The group stressed that security deployment must reflect the size of the exercise, remain neutral, and support both voter participation and the integrity of INEC’s processes.
“Elections are a civic exercise, and security should support a safe and transparent process,” Jalal added.
PDP Accuses APC of Plotting to Rig Zamfara By-Election
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of planning to use security operatives to rig Thursday’s Zamfara State Constituency rerun election in Kaura Namoda South.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, the PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, alleged that the APC was working to suppress voters and manipulate the process in order to “emasculate Nigeria’s democratic space” under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Ologunagba cited reports from the August 16 poll, which he said was marred by intimidation, harassment of voters, and ballot snatching by security operatives acting on “orders from above.” According to him, despite the PDP’s victory, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the election inconclusive in five polling units across Sakajiki and Kyambarawa Wards.
He alleged that ahead of the rerun, the APC, with the involvement of a federal minister from Zamfara, had mobilised “full battalions” of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Mobile Police, and Department of State Services (DSS) to the affected polling units in a bid to tilt the outcome.
“The plan is to foist a siege mentality on the people, intimidate them from voting, and coerce INEC officials into announcing results that do not reflect the will of the electorate,” Ologunagba said.
He warned that the PDP and the people of Zamfara would not accept any outcome that contradicted results already collated from Kaura Namoda South. The party also called on Nigerians and the international community to hold the APC responsible for any breakdown of law and order during the rerun.
“The APC must be stopped from using state-backed intimidation to subvert democracy,” he said, adding that Zamfara “remains a PDP state” under Governor Dauda Lawal, whose administration, he claimed, has enjoyed popular support.
The PDP urged President Tinubu to halt what it described as the APC’s “plot to undermine democracy and subvert the sovereign will of the people.”
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
