APC rejects Benue, Sokoto results, heads to tribunal

The Benue and Sokoto state chapters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) have rejected the outcome of the governorship supplementary election declared on Sunday, in favour of Govs Samuel Ortom and Aminu Tambuwal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The two state chapters of the APC said in separate statements issued in Makurdi and Sokoto respectively, that the results as announced by INEC did not reflect the wishes of the people.

According to the Benue state APC in the statement signed by Prof. Eugene Aliegba, Secretary Jime/Ode Campaign Organisation, said that APC would challenge the results in court.

The statement declared that the outcome of the poll was “totally unacceptable to the APC.” It however, thanked those who voted for Jime and Sam Ode, the party’s governorship and deputy governorship candidates in the election.

“When we embarked on this journey many months ago, it was to translate to reality the dreams of a better future for our suffering people. We toured the entire state and made our case for wealth creation through agriculture, education reforms, infrastructure development and a welfare package for our senior citizens.

“But, even as the results declared did not appear to reflect the will of most of these same people, we call on our supporters to remain calm and law abiding as they had been throughout the campaigns and electioneering period. They have our full assurance that as a party that believes in democracy, we will not accept a stolen election.”

“Going into this contest, we were well aware of the fact that only one of two outcomes was possible; either we win fairly in line with the massive support we earned from the people or another winner emerges through a credible and transparent process.

“We did not anticipate a third option that confers advantage to those who play dubiously outside the laid down rules of the game,” he said.

“We will make a case before the Elections Petitions Tribunal to subject the Benue governorship elections result to an integrity test. If we opt otherwise, we will be as guilty as those who undertake acts that undermine democracy.

“We have chosen to take action that insulates democracy from practices that threaten it,” the statement said.

Similarly, the APC in Sokoto state on Sunday rejected the declaration of Gov. Tambuwal as winner of the just-concluded governorship election in the state.

Addressing a press conference in Sokoto, the APC’s spokesman, Alhaji Bello Danchadi, rejected the declaration on the ground that the process was flawed with irregularities, which he said were duly reported to the electoral body.

Danchadi said the margin of 342 votes was far less than the registered voters in polling units where elections were not held, a development which he said contravened the electoral law.

He said the party had also registered its complaints to INEC which included alleged outright rigging perpetrated by the PDP, alleging that some eligible voters at some polling centres were denied voting and in some places repeated voting’s were recorded.

“We draw the attention of INEC to a number of polling units that were canceled as result of violent attacks by thugs, while others were arbitrarily cancelled to please certain political party interests.

In view of these we deem it necessary to express our disagreement with the action taken by INEC to declare a winner without giving us a fair hearing in our position in the electoral processes,” he said.