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EDITOR IN CHIEF- ABDULLAH BIN SALIM AL SHUEILI

2 die in political unrest ahead of Nigeria vote

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Kofa, Nigeria: Two people were killed in clashes between rival party supporters in northwest Nigeria, police and local residents said on Friday, on the eve of rescheduled general elections.


The deaths occurred on Thursday in the village of Kofa, some 70 kilometres from the city of Kano, as former state governor Rabiu Kwankwaso travelled to a political rally.


Nigerians go to the polls on Saturday to elect a new president and parliament, a week later than planned because of logistical difficulties in delivering ballot materials.


The delay has increased tensions between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), stoking fears of violence and rigging.


But the deaths in Kano will further heighten concerns about unrest leading up to and during at governorship and local assembly elections, which are scheduled for March 9.


Nigeria’s Centre for Crisis Communication, which comprises representatives from security agencies, on Friday said Kano was one of 12 election flashpoints around the country.


The PDP said Kwankwaso’s convoy was forced to stop by supporters of his former ally Abdulmumini Kofa, who is close to the current APC governor of Kano, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.


Ganduje was Kwankwaso’s deputy but the pair have fallen out and become bitter rivals since he took office in 2015. Kwankwaso, however, retains a strong following.


Police in Kofa denied local newspaper reports that five people had been killed, said; “We recorded two deaths and 36 vehicles were burned.” AFP reporters in the village also saw vehicles on fire near Mumini’s house on Friday morning as well as the burned-out shells of the other cars and motorbikes.


The police death toll was supported by Bebeji local government secretary Mohammed Sani Dan Arewa, who is close to Mumini. He said: “They killed two of our people.”


He added that four others were injured while the PDP said 10 were wounded, most of them women.


The head of the CCC, retired air commodore Yusuf Anas, warned politicians and community leaders “to advise their subjects against involvement in any activity capable of inciting violence that could have negative effects on the electoral processes”.


Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday assured Nigerians of “adequate security measures” during Saturday’s general election,after the polls were surprisingly postponed by a week.


“Security agencies have worked diligently to ensure that adequate security measures are in place,” Buhari said in a televised broadcast to the nation.


“You will be able to vote in an atmosphere of openness and peace,devoid of fear from threat or intimidation,” Buhari added,encouraging the West African country’s 84 million registered voters to come out in droves.


Earlier this week, Buhari had instructed the military and police to deal ruthlessly with “troublemakers” on the day of the election.


“I want to warn anybody who thinks he [can] disrupt the voting system, he will do it at the expense of his own life,” the president said.


Nigeria’s electoral commission in a surprise announcement delayed the election, originally scheduled for February 16, by a week.


The announcement was made just hours before polling stations were due to open, with the commission citing unspecified “challenges” that threatened the integrity of the vote.


Nigeria’s two main political parties, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), condemned the postponement.


The build up to the election has been marred by isolated incidents of violence that have heightened security concerns.


Most recently, APC and PDP supporters clashed during a rally in the northern city of Kano.


At least two people were killed during the clashes, while several others were injured and some 40 cars were burnt or badly damaged, a witness said.


Similar clashes were also recorded in other parts of the country of almost 200 million people.


On Tuesday, a local APC official was shot and killed in the south-eastern state of Imo after presiding over a party meeting,according to numerous local media reports.


Nigerians will elect a president from 72 presidential candidates on Saturday, with Buhari and PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar counting as frontrunners.


Voters will also elect the 469 members of the national assembly for the next four years. — Agencies


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