Politics

Katsina PDP rejects bye-election outcome, vows to petition election tribunal

Published

6 years ago

August 12, 2018

The Katsina State chapter of Peoples Democratic Party has vowed to challenge the results of Saturday ’ s Katsina North Senatorial zone bye – election .It vowed to take its case to the election tribunal .

The state chairman of the party, Salisu Majigiri , made the declaration on Sunday in a telephone interview with our Correspondent.

He alleged that the bye – election was fraught with “ vote – buying , coercion and other discrepancies , ” which he said would be revealed at the election tribunal .

Majigiri likened the bye – election to what he said allegedly happened during the recent Ekiti State governorship election , insisting that the development did not augur well for the development of democracy in Nigeria .

He said , “ We reject the results of the bye -election in totality . The election was fraught with vote buying , using of government officials to coerce traditional rulers , and all sorts of discrepancies that we shall disclose at election tribunal .

“ What happened at the bye – election was like what happened during the Ekiti State governorship election and all these do not augur well for the development of democracy in Nigeria .

“ We are challenging the results at the tribunal , as we cannot allow all these to happen in the 2019 general elections . ”

The Independent National Electoral Commission had , on Sunday morning , declared All Progressives Congress candidate , Ahmad Babba – Kaita , the winner of Saturday ’ s Katsina North Senatorial Zone bye – election .

INEC Returning officer for the election , Prof . Hudu Ayuba -Abdullahi , said Babba -Kaita scored 224 , 607 votes , while his elder brother of Peoples Democratic Party , Kabir Babba – Kaita , scored 59 , 724 votes at the election .

The Returning officer put total number of registered voters at 864 , 046 , and the number of accredited voters at 308 , 500 .

He also put the total votes cast at 294 , 050 , out of which 287 , 155 votes were recorded as valid and 10 , 891 as rejected .

A total of six political parties contested in the bye election .

Other parties and votes recorded as announced by the Returning Officer were Democratic Alliance , 796 ; Green Party of Nigeria , 1056 ; Masses Movement of Nigeria , 343 and Mega Party of Nigeria , 633 .