Maku laments guber loss, blames military, INEC

The Nasarawa State governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Labaran Maku, has blamed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and armed soldiers who he alleged collaborated with Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura, to frustrate the voting process in last Saturdays election.

He told our correspondent on phone that Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura’s win did not come from the people, alleging that the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate benefited from a tainted mandate made possible by what he described as “collaboration between his party, INEC and soldiers to frustrate the electoral process.”

But Mohammed Musa Ilu, the Director General of Ta’al Campaign Organisation, campaigners of the APC candidate, reacted swiftly to Maku’s allegations, alleging too that there were manipulations perpetrated by Maku’s agents, but which the APC decided to overlook. He called on Maku to show sportsmanship by congratulating the governor as done two weeks ago by President Goodluck Jonathan, and not to cry wolf where there is none.

Maku raised various allegations against INEC, the APC and soldiers, key among which are that collation officers in four wards in Lafia, where he was winning had to abandon collation for soldiers to come in and seize results from returning officers to present to INEC. He also said INEC deliberately under-supplied ballot papers in areas that are his stronghold, just as he alleged that there were fraudulent cancellations of votes in polling units where he won.