Tension in Kano as DSS, policemen clash at collation centre

Policemen and officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) clashed at head office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kano state on Sunday.

The altercation was over a fresh screening conducted by the DSS at the collation centre.

Journalists and observers were already seated in the collation hall, waiting for continuation of the event when security personnel asked everyone to leave the hall and present themselves for another screening.

Armed DSS, reportedly drafted from Abuja, took over the screening and the policemen who had controlled entry into the hall earlier were pushed aside.

This led to a dispute between policemen and one of the DSS operatives which almost turned ugly save for the intervention of a senior security officer.

A similar incident happened between policemen and soldiers in Rivers state on March 10, forcing INEC to suspend all electoral processes in the state.

There was widespread disruption and violence during the supplementary election in Kano on Saturday.

As a result of this, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) called for the cancellation of the rerun.

Rabiu Sulaiman-Bichi, acting chairman of the PDP, alleged that the process had completely been taken over by armed political thugs.

“Today this charade called re-run election was slated to hold in Kano and other states but unfortunately, what we have in Kano is nothing but a sham,” he had said.

But reacting, the All Progressives Congress (APC) had said the major opposition party was afraid of losing the election, hence, the call for the cancellation of the rerun.