Gov’ship polls: PDP rejects results in Jigawa, Benue, Ebonyi

From Ali Rabiu Ali, Dutse, Hope Abah Emmanuel (Makurdi) & Nabob Ogbonna, Abakiliki

The Jigawa, Benue and Ebonyi state chapters of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have rejected the outcome of last Saturday’s governorship election in the three states.

Recall that INEC declared the candidate of the APC, Mal Umar Namadi Danmodi, as winner of the election in Jigawa and Reverend Fr. Hyacinth Alia for Benue while Rt. Hon Francis Nwifuru was declared  as the winner in Ebonyi state.

Addressing newsmen yesterday, a former Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Aminu Abdullahi Taura, said the 2023 election was one of the most challenging exercises in the history of Jigawa State.

He said the election in the state was characterised by irregularities ranging from violence, ballot box destruction to intentional shortage of electoral materials.

PDP rejects APC’s victory in Jigawa guber election

Gov’ship polls: PDP rejects results in Jigawa, Benue, Ebonyi

He said, “The party is making wider consultations on the next line of action which is in the best interest of Jigawa State.If this charade is allowed to go unchallenged, we find ourselves in a situation where elections will become meaningless because some people are too powerful to be contested against.

“We are calling on the Inspector General of Police (IGP) to call the Jigawa State Police command to order in this regard and further call for the immediate release of all our supporters.”

Similarly, the PDP in Benue State yesterday rejected the results of last Saturday’s governorship election in the state.

State acting chairman of PDP, Isaac Mffo, who spoke on behalf of the party at a press conference, said they are not satisfied with the outcome of the election and would challenge it in court.

Mffo who was accompanied by the PDP governorship candidate, Engr. Titus Tyoapine Uba, his running mate, Sir John Ngbede said the election was not free and fair.

“From the reports received and studied by the legal department of our party, we have arrived at the conclusion that the conduct of the elections fell far below the accepted minimum standards as obtained under our current democratic dispensation,” Mffo said.

In the same vein, the leadership of the PDP in Ebonyi state has rejected the governorship election results in the state.

This came three days after INEC declared, Rt. Hon Francis Nwifuru as the winner.

Ifeanyi Nworie, the state acting chairman of the party who made this position known at a press briefing in Abakiliki said the elections were marred with violence, killings, and desecration of electoral rules.