By: Adamu Amadu, Dutse
The Gwaram local government branch of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to withdraw the certificate of returns and maintain its earlier decision that the Gwaram State Assembly constituency election is inconclusive as announced after collation of the election results.
This was made in a petition issue and sent to the national chairman of the Commission , Professor Mahmud Yakubu, and a copy of the complaint obtained by National Update in Dutse, Jigawa State capital.
The petition, signed by the Gwaram PDP State assembly candidate, Mr Zakari Muhammad Inuwa explained that the Gwaram constituency election returning officer has declared the election as inconclusive following the cancellations of election in 12 polling units of the area.
According to the petition, “you may wish to recall that your commission organized and conducted on the 18th of March 2023 in which political parties, PDP inclusive participated, after the collation the returning officer of the commission in Gwaram local government declared that the results of the election is inconclusive due to an over voting and other election malpractices that led the cancellations of 12 polling units”.
Mr Zakari Muhammad Inuwa maintained that “unfortunately after the declaration election results inconclusive, some thugs later mobilized and forced the returning officer to declare the APC candidate as winner under duress which contravenes and violated the 2023 electoral law.
“Given the above negative development, I, the candidates of PDP, had written a letter on 20th March to the Jigawa State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) , drawing his attention to such negative development”.
“Despite that, the Jigawa Residents Electoral Commission (REC) go ahead;(sic) and issued a certificate of returns to APC candidate. This is unfortunate and could be injurious to democracy and democratic value”
The petitioner therefore called on the INEC chairman to suspend the issuing of the certificate of returns to the APC candidate and organize rerun election in the constituency.
When contacted, the REC, Professor Muhammad Lawal Bashar, said he did not receive any complaint on any results of the elections.
The REC maintained that “I was in the governorship collation center together with the governor election collation officer, the electoral officer of Gwaram accompanied by the state governorship returning officer came and presented the results, we received it.
Professor Bashari maintained that “it was after I came back to my office, the Gwaram electoral officer (EO) and the returning officer who happens to be the Federal University Dutse (FUD) Bursar met me and told me that they were attacked”.
“EO said he was beaten, almost killed, while the returning officer said his car was vandalized and I came down and saw the car, its back wing screen smashed”.
The REC added that “I felt sorry for them and I directed the cashier of the commission to give them N100,000. N50,000 each of them and the Bursar to fix his car”.
He added he got to know about the complaint and came across these video clips just two days back.
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