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Ahmed Mahuta, Sokoto State Resident Electoral
Commissioner (REC) said on Tuesday that the office was ready for the
PDP senatorial re-run primary for Sokoto East Senatorial district “once
we receive the go ahead.”

Mr Mahuta, said that “I am still waiting for
directive from the INEC headquarters on weather to conduct the election
or not. We don’t have any issue regarding that as far as the commission
is concerned in Sokoto.” The People’s Democratic Party (PDP)
headquarters had ordered for a re-run primary for Sokoto East
Senatorial district on January 26, 2011.

According to Mr Mahuta, the commission is determined
to conduct a hitch free voter registration in Sokoto, but however said
that ink is not available in must registration centres and added that
some of the materials needed were not available in the Sokoto central
market. “We have already made effort to source the materials from
outside the state capital.” He said. He expressed satisfaction with the
large turnout of eligible voters in the state and called for more
support from all Nigerians to ensure smooth conduct of the exercise.

Meanwhile, INEC has condemned plans by the PDP to run new primaries in some states, saying such moves are illegal.

The PDP at the weekend cancelled the governorship
primaries in Kano and Kogi states. It ordered fresh senatorial
primaries in some districts in Oyo, Sokoto, Bauchi,

Taraba and Adamawa states.

Protests have continued in many states, with aspirants pushing for fresh primaries.

Former Defence Minister Rabiu Musa Kwankwanso had won
the PDP primaries in Kano whlie Jibril Isah won in Kogi. Supporters of
both men kicked against the decision to cancel the elections and run
fresh primaries.

The rerun polls were billed for today before INEC declared the plans illegal.

The commissions’ Director of Information, Emmanuel
Umengor said: “We have written a letter to the party and we have drawn
their attention to the fact that the time for primary elections has
lapsed. They are supposed to have finished the primaries on January 15.

“It is important to draw their attention to the
timetable and we drew the party’s attention to the (INEC) timetable and
schedule of activities for the 2011 elections. These were issued by
INEC pursuant to the powers vested in it by the provisions of Section
153 of the Electoral Act 2010, as amended.

“If the reports of PDP’s plans for fresh primary
elections are true, we are reminding them that the time for the conduct
of such elections has since elapsed on January 15, 2011. It has not
been extended by the commission.” He said.