PDP candidate warns APC against choice of Ndume

Tom Okpe, Abuja

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Borno South Senatorial District in the 2019 general elections, Kudla Satumari Haskey, has warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) not to field Senator Ali Ndume as Senate president.

Haskey said he is giving the advice because he will eventually reclaim his mandate at the election tribunal as the rightful elected senator for the senatorial district.

Speaking to newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday, the PDP flagbearer claimed his victory at the polling units was upturned between the polling stations and collation centre where the results were rewritten in favour of Ndume, the APC candidate.

He stated that no amount of pressure and persuasion can make him accept an out of court settlement, expressing confidence that the overwhelming evidences at his disposal are substantial enough to upturn Ndume’s temporary victory.

He said: “I contested Borno South Senatorial District on the platform of the PDP and the immediate result of the election is not what is expected.

I initially evaluated the outcome of the election to see what action to take, but I have overwhelming response from my people and even the contestants from other political parties that have come out with hard facts and evidences to prove substantial breach of the electoral process.

“The evidences have shown that I won the election, but it was upturned between the polling units and the collation centre.

For us to deepen democracy and ensure that the process of election is abided by, I decided to take the case to the tribunal. It has been submitted and the papers served to all the respondents involved”.

The aggrieved senatorial candidate noted that if Ndume had won him fair and square “I would have been among those campaigning for his becoming the Senate president because he is from my senatorial district.

“I believe that as Senate president, he could attract some interventions and developmental projects to our area. What people don’t know is that I have worked assiduously for him to become senator in 2011.

“I was among those that worked hard to ensure that he won the election. I even named a primary school I built in my village after him, but you see the fight is not personal, we should not celebrate failure,” he added.

Responding on out of court settlement, Haskey said: “Out of court settlement is never an option. It is not about me but my people because the level of insecurity in my area has gotten to alarming stage. I doubt if we still have men to stand for the people.