ADAMAWA/By Tom Garba Yola – Mr Vandi Zira, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) chairmanship candidate for Michika Local Government election held on Monday has rejected the result.
Zira told newsmen at a briefing in Yola that the declaration of All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Mr Vandi Favanza, as the winner by the Adamawa State Independent Electoral Commission (ADSIEC) was a daylight robbery that would not stand.
Zira who spoke through his returning officer in the election, Mr James Manager, claimed that the electoral commission connived with ruling APC and security operatives to rigged the election.
“We are leading towards the end of the election when suddenly the police started firing tear gas and mobilized and zoomed off to Yola with officials of the electoral commission to announced that APC candidate won.
“All the three candidates comprising APC, PDP and SDP agreed in a meeting and signed undertaking with the commission in presence of the police that the election will be peaceful and that the result would be announced in Michika.
“We will not allow this injustice to stand. We have urged our supporters to remain calm as we seek redress through legal means.”
Responding to the SDP claim, the state acting Publicity Officer of APC, Mallam Ibrahim Abubakar, urged SDP to accept the defeat in good faith.
“Their allegations are baseless. I want to urged them to show sportsmanship and accept the outcome of the election in good faith”, Abubakar said.
Effort to get the police and state electoral commission to comment on the election did not yield result.
The police command said that the newly posted Police Commissioner, Mr Oyekunle Adegboyega and the command public relations officer, SP Othman Abubakar were on familiarization tour of the state.
Mallam Danladi Mohammed, the Information Officer of ADSIEC said that only the chairman of the commission could comment but he was out of town.
