SAN FRANCISCO, August 03, (THEWILL) – Joe-Kyari Gadzama, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Presidential candidate who lost in last weekend’s Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) general election, has called for the cancellation of the polls saying it lacked transparency.
In a statement released by Gadzama’s campaign group, it was alleged that the election, conducted via electronic voting in which Gadzama polled 2,384 votes to emerge runner-up behind Abubakar Mahmoud, the declared winner, with 3,055 votes, was not credible.
The group also accused Augustine Alegeh, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and outgoing President of the NBA, of conniving with the Electoral Committee of the Association to ensure Mahmoud’s victory at the expense of Gadzama.
“We hereby reject the results of the elections and call for the immediate cancellation of the same for failing to be credible, transparent, free and fair, and for failing to comply with the provisions of the NBA Constitution and the Electoral Guidelines,” the statement, issued by Garba Gajam and Steven Abar, Director-General and Secretary respectively, read.
“We also call for the conduct of fresh Electronic (and not Internet) Elections that will be credible, transparent, free and fair and in compliance with the provisions of the NBA Constitution and the Electoral Guidelines.”
THEWILL recalls that the group had prior to the election, accused Alegeh of a brazen show of preference for and serious capital and human resources investment into promoting Mahmoud, an allegation that was vehemently denied by Alegeh.
Story by David Oputah.
