The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is alarmed by the open declaration by
the Returning Officer in the Bakura Constituency bye-election in Zamfara
state, Prof. Ibrahim Magatawa, that the planned re-run in the Saturday
election already won by the PDP is to enable the APC to gain “upper hand
over the PDP”.
The PDP demands the immediate removal of Prof. Magatawa as his
embarrassing pronouncement has betrayed a plot to use the planned re-run
in 14 polling units where election was cancelled under unclear
circumstances, to rob our party of our victory in the Bakura State
Constituency bye-election.
Our party and Nigerians were shocked when, in declaring the election
inconclusive, given that the total number of registered voters in the 14
polling units is 11,439 higher than the 2,181 difference between the
18,645 votes scored by the PDP and 16,464 votes garnered by the APC,
Prof. Magatawa openly suggested that the rerun will give the APC upper
hand over the PDP.
In Prof. Magatawa’s words “if the APC is to, may gain advantage if there
is another election in these units where election is cancelled, that
they may get upper hand over the PDP and as a result, we have declared
this result inconclusive”.
Prof. Magatawa’s statement exposes the partisanship of the INEC
official, triggers a dangerous crisis of confidence and points to a
creepy plot to use the rerun to allocate fictitious votes to APC, the
very reason, Prof. Magatawa must not be allowed in anyway to participate
in the anticipated rerun.
Moreover, Prof. Magatawa’s comments raises apprehension that elections
in the 14 units were cancelled to achieve a sinister design to rob the
PDP of its victory.
Currently, the PDP would not go into issues of allegations of plots by
the APC to use huge financial inducements, in addition to compromised
security operatives by the APC to manipulate this election to its
favour.
We however call on INEC to stop using individuals like Prof. Magawata in
our elections. He has shown to be a biased umpire who could not even
hide his abominable enterprise.
The PDP therefore demands that the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood
Yakubu, directly take over the conduct of processes in the Bakura State
Constituency bye-election, where our party is in clear victory, as the
people will never allow any final outcome that does not reflect the
electoral reality already on the ground.
Signed:
Kola Ologbondiyan
National Publicity Secretary