PDP Calls For Cancellation Of Padded Senatorial, Federal House Rep Seats Result

Yakubu Busari

The People Democratic Party, PDP, Central Zone, Hon Benedict Shignuhul has demanded the Independent Electoral commission, INEC, to reverse the illegal pronouncement of declaring the candidates of the All Progressive Congress, APC, RT Hon Yusuf Babayo Gagdi and Retired Police Commissioner, Hezekiah Ayuba Dimka in the  just concluded Presidential, National Assembly and House of Rep seat as winners.

Hon Shignuhul in a press conference held at the  state chapter of PDP in Plateau State   on Tuesday told journalists that ,they have  write to demand for the cancellation of the purportedly held senatorial elections in Kanam Local Government Area on the 23rd day of February, ‘2019.

He disclosed that the purportedly held election was a contraption and concoction of fake figures and arbitrary return by the All Progressives Congress Candidate Hezekiah Dimka of the  APC which was declared inconclusive but INEC later mobilize heavy presence of security personnel to announce them as the two winners.

According to him, one Ayuba including some Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) staff in connivance with the fourteen (14) ward collation Office  and the local government collation officers rigged for the ruling party .

Shignuhul pointed out that the reasons for our request for this cancellation are based on the INEC Regulations and Guidance for the Conduct of Elections released on the 21St day of December 2018.and some of the reasons for our call for cancellation are stated hereunder: ‘

We witnessed Violent  attacks on all agents of the People’s Democratic Party at the Polling Units , across  fourteen (14) Wards, Collation Centers and ‘the Local Government Collation Center, who had to run for their dear lives.

For instance, in Gagdi, Dugub, Dengi and lom wards, the agents experienced violent threats to their lives as they refused to accept the manipulated results presented to them.

The agents made several attempts to report the incidences to the Divisional Police Officer SP Ahmed Mansour Kanam Division, without success as his number 08067736152) was not available;

We‘ acknowledged that the elections were relatively peaceful  in four (4) out of the five (5) Local Government Areas of the zone.

There was also an enthusiastic turn out of the people to vote despite the earlier inexcusable postponement by INEC, whi h had brought untold anguish and disappointment on the electorates

The people of Plateau Central Zone clearly spoke their minds by voting their trust in PDP through overwhelmingly voting for the party. We salute our supporters for their commitment and  choosing to elect the Party’s Senatorial and Federal House of Representatives’ candidates

However on the Election experience of our Party’s agents in Kanam Local Government as they were harassed, intimidated and chased away there were  failure of smart card readers for accreditation  including over voting, delayed submission of results ,he said.

Shignuhul stressed that at the end of the election INEC staff and APC   involved in the elections, it was declared by INEC that the result from Kanam is inconclusive but document was duly signed by the Returning Officer for the National Assembly to that. effect in the presence of and witnessed by the agents of the People’s Democratic Party and the All progressives Congress.

Following this declaration, the Party’s candidates met With the Resident Electoral Commissioner on Tuesday, February 26th, 2019 where he assured the Party that the INEC officials will go back to pankshin to further review the results in Kanam.

Adding , Upon arrival in Pankshin, the Party was amazed to witness a heavy presence of security agents including the military armoured tanks, police, police dogs and civil defence.

At the commencement of the meeting in Pankshin for the “review” of the results from Kanam, the PDP delegation demanded for the presence of the Collation Officer.