Drama In Gombe As INEC Presents Certificate Of Return To Candidate Who Didn’t Contest Election By Kalshingi H Jedidah Gombe

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There was a mild drama yesterday at the venue of the presentation of return certificate in Gombe as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, presented certificate of return for Gombe-Kwami-Funakaye Federal Constituency to Alh Khamisu Mailantarki who did not contest for the position instead of Alh Yaya Toungo Bauchi who emerged winner at the 2015 polls. A situation which created a lot of confusion at the venue of the presentation of certificates on Sunday.
It all started when it was time for the INEC to present return certificate to the winner of the election Alh Toungo when it was presented to Mailantarki in his stead.
The Residen Alhaji Kasim Geidam had to switch to Hausa, pleading for calm and reluctantly, the atmosphere became calm again and the event went on.
 Yaya Toungo was however booed as he left the venue in shame.
 Speaking to reporters in an interview Toungo stated that his mandate was stolen by the INEC and  vowed to take the matter to court.
“Mailantarki did not contest the election with me. This is not fair. I will go to court to reclaim my hard earned victory at the polls,” he said.
He claimed he had tendered his defection notice to the Gombe State House of Assembly where he is currently serving under the platform of the PDP, but claimed that the Speaker refused to make it public on the floor of the House.
On his part, Mailantarki said he obtained an order from an Abuja Federal High Court, which ruled that Yaya Tungo did not formally defect from the PDP to APC before the election and so ordered INEC to present the certificate of return to him instead of Tungo.

Meanwhile, the State INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner Barr Kassim Gaidam said INEC is law abiding and that it was working based on the court ruling.

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