The Senator representing Federal Capital Tertiory (FCT) at the National Assembly, Philip Tanimu Aduda, has rejected the outcome of the February 25 parliamentary election.
Aduda, a three-term senator, was defeated by Ireti Heeba Kingibe of the Labour Party.
The Returning Officer for the FCT senatorial election, Prof Sani Saka, said Ireti scored a total of 202,175 votes across the five area councils where results were declared to emerge the winner.
Aduda came second with 100,544 votes, while Mr Angulu Dobi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) came third with 78,905 votes.
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Prof Saka explained that the problem with the Bwari result that was earlier cancelled was rectified and the result was certified as valid.
He, however, said that the result for Abaji remained cancelled because of over-voting.
Briefing reporters on Thursday at the National Assembly in Abuja, Aduda said the election was marred by irregularities, adding that the outcome would be challenged in court.
The senator, therefore, solicited the support of FCT residents in efforts to seek legal redress.
He said “Though the 2023 senatorial elections came with its challenges and concerns that we hope to address legally, we strongly believe that with your continuous support and prayers for a better FCT under our leadership, we will come out stronger.”
Aduda also took a swipe at the opposition criticising him for poor representation and performance despite his almost 20 years at the parliament.
He said, “It is unfortunate that some people have allowed their emotions to becloud their judgement of our performance and thereby misleading the public with cheap utterances wrapped with ignorance even when it is clear that some of them are coming to public prominence through the glory of their principals.
“But for the sake of the records we have set in the FCT, we won’t join issues with such people even in electioneering and we will never do because we are too preoccupied working for the people of the FCT and for that, we want to urge the people of the FCT to keep faith in our abilities and continue to give us the support to build an FCT devoid of tribe, ethnicity or religious affiliation.”
Aduda is the longest-serving lawmaker to represent FCT in the National Assembly.
Aduda was first elected as a Councilor, Karu Ward in 1996, and later elected twice as a member of the House of Representatives for AMAC/Bwara federal constituency in Abuja between 2003–2011. In the Green Chamber, Aduda served as Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Capital Territory, and member of other committees.
He switched to the Senate in 2011 and since then, he has been occupying the sole FCT seat in the Red Chamber, where he served as Chairman Senate Committee on Power, Senate Minority Whip, and now Senate Minority Leader.
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