Zamfara REC Debunks Fayose’s Claims

Eniola Olayemi

A claim by former Ekiti State governor, Ayo Fayose that the resident electoral commissioner in Zamfara State has declined to provide crucial election materials was not true, PREMIUM TIMES can report.

Equally false was Mr Fayose’s assertion that Asmau Maikudi has abandoned her duty to take refuge under Governor Abdulaziz Yari.

“Zamfara @inecnigeria REC, Dr Asmau has refused to release the Polling Units Result Sheets as well as Ward, LG and State Collation Result Sheets. She is said to be with the Gov of Zamfara presently.

“The INEC chairman is invited to look into this urgently,” Mr Fayose wrote on Twitter.

The People’s Democratic Party chieftain did not back his tweet with any evidence.

PREMIUM TIMES confirmed that Mrs Maikudi was at her office in Gusau, Zamfara State capital, after a video call by WhatsApp a few minutes after Mr Fayose’s tweet.

She was with top security chiefs, including those from the State Security Service, the police and the Nigerian Immigration Service, as of 6:03 p.m. when the video call was placed.

Mrs Maikudi said there were no issues around ballot sheets in Zamfara State as alleged by Mr Fayose.

“We distributed all our sensitive materials at the Central Bank before all security agencies and party agents,” Mrs Maikudi said. “We never retrieved those items.”

“We have all the records and I am sure all the party agents would have their own copies of the records as well, so the governor should find something else to focus on,” the electoral chief said.