Isaac Shobayo – Jos
The senatorial candidate of the People’s Democratic Party for Plateau Central, Ambassador Golkuna Gotom, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare him the winner of the senatorial election in the district, saying justice delayed is justice denied.
Even the House of Representatives candidate for Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency, Hon. Ziphon Chyrisantoe, has rejected the result of the Saturday election as announced by INEC.
Addressing newsmen in Jos, Plateau State, Gotom expressed disappointment with the posture and position of INEC over the matter and wondered why the result has yet to be determined seven days after the election.
He said it is unfortunate that the Commission kept silent on the result on the premise that it was inconclusive and further alleged that there were subterranean moves by the INEC to announce a contrary result based on pressure from certain quarters.
Gotom stated that five days after the polls, INEC failed to upload election results from Kanam Local Government into its server and called for the cancellation of results in areas where there was overvoting.
“INEC has the capacity to discharge justice, equity, and fairness to Nigerians, and in the Plateau Central Senatorial District, where elections were held on February 25, 2023, I wonder what kind of election will take seven days for the results to be declared.”
He explained that INEC has announced the results for Plateau North and South Senatorial Districts and wondered why that of Plateau Central was delayed seven days after the conclusion of the election, saying he was demanding justice, equity, and fairness from INEC.
Gotum dismissed the rumour peddling around that the election was declared inconclusive and expressed dissatisfaction with the role of the INEC returning officer, who failed to declare him the winner of the poll.
“We have petitioned INEC based on Section 64, Subsection 7 of the 2022 Electoral Act, which stipulated that when the disputed results in contentions are found not to be correct, the collation officer shall re-collate the results and announce them based on the information provided in the electoral act.
“We have three basic issues: mutilation of results, the casting of illegal figures, and when the collation officer was asked to take the figures out at the collation centre in Pankshin, he refused. The third issue is that there are about nine federal wards in Kanam where the election did not hold.
“The simple evidence is what is obtainable in the INEC portal, since from the 25 of February, when the election was conducted, up until Thursday, March 1, 2023, there was no result on the INEC portal until this morning, Friday, March 2 when the face of a lady was seen posting the result on the INEC portal.
“I want to believe the office of the INEC has been compromised on the plateau; I demand justice. If there is any breakdown of law and order in the zone, the INEC should be held responsible because the people will not allow themselves to be cheated through the rigging. Why would I win the election, and they would delay it for seven days?” he asked
Also, the House of Representatives candidate for Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency, Hon. Ziphon Chyrisantoe, has rejected the result of the Saturday election as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
He alleged that there was overvoting and mutilation of results against the PDP, saying since the result of the Plateau North senatorial election, which affected his election, has not been declared, then INEC did not do justice to him.
Chyrisantoe said, “My lawyers are all working, and they shall do the needful.” “The INEC has the mandate to review the results within 7 days of declaration; we are already working on that, and we are waiting for the INEC to respond.” He stated
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