February 27, (THEWILL) – The House of Representatives candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for Kabba/Bunu/Ijumu federal constituency, Arc. Salman Idris, has appealed to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declare him as the winner of Saturday’s election.
In a statement issued to Journalists on Monday, by his media team, the candidate urged the electoral body to do the right thing within the law by declaring as well as presenting the certificate of return to him as the duly elected candidate.
“In tandem with the result sheet that was duly signed, stamped and presented to all political party agents by INEC, he scored the highest votes of 13,867 to defeat the candidate of the APC, who scored 13,605.
“It is an inconvertible fact that once a duly signed and stamped election result has been issued to a winner, you don’t return later to call for a kangaroo re-election,” it said.
The statement urged INEC to be an unbiased body. It also called on the INEC Chairman to investigate the actions of Dr. Adams Baba, INEC returning officer, so that such an action will not repeat itself in the nearest future to avoid ridiculing the electoral body that may warrant a communal crisis.
“It is an inconvertible fact based on the electoral act that when there is an overvoting or crisis in any polling unit, such result should be cancelled.
“One is now surprised at the verdict of the returning officer, Dr. Adams Baba, who declared the process inconclusive, despite the fact that the acclaimed unit 005 in ward and unit 006 in Ogale Aduge had earlier been cancelled where all party agents and INEC officials signed the cancellation form.
“The position of the Law is clear that once an election from any unit or ward has been cancelled, no INEC official can declare re-election except by the intervention of the court of law since it has been cancelled.
“This has been the situation across the nation where similar cancellation has been done without a call for rerun. One is now wondering why that of Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu federal constituency would be an exemption,” it added.
The statement, however, called on the good people of Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu federal constituency to remain calm and peaceful. It further expressed sincere gratitude to the electorate of Kabba-Bunu/Ijumu federal constituency for their overwhelming support.
It also urged them to remain calm while they await the presentation of the certificate of return to the duly elected House of Representatives member, Arc. Salman Idris of ADC.
Tunde Omolehin is an award-winning Journalist with prose in investigative and storytelling that is connecting the dots between the under-reported communities and policymakers to ensure good governance and accountability.
