Governorship election: Nasarawa PDP stakeholders embark on 7days protest

Governorship election: Nasarawa PDP stakeholders embark on 7days protest

Protest

By Emmanuel Oloniruha/Kayode Babalola

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Stakeholders in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State, has commenced a seven day protest over the outcome of the state Governorship election results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

One of the group leaders, Chindo Allahyayi, disclosed this while addressing newsmen at the commencement of the protest, at the party’s office in Karu LGA, Nasarawa State.

Allahyayi said that the group disagree with the declaration of the incumbent governor as winner of the March 18 election, as the results uploaded on INEC Result View Portal (IReV) shows that PDP Candidate, Dr David Ombugadu won the election.

“We are embarking on seven days protest to let the whole state and nation know that our candidate is the winner.

“Therefore, we are calling on the attention of INEC to immediately reverse its decision, to immediately return our candidate the winner.

“We are calling on INEC to go back to the IReV portal to check all the results in all the polling units in the 13 LGAs of the state so that they will see it in clear term that Ombugadu won the March 18 governorship in Nasarawa State.

“We condemned in strong term the rigging of the election, because it will not give us healthy society,” Allahyayi said.

He said that the group would continue its peaceful protest until it alleged stolen mandate was given back to them.

He alleged that in a particular wards the All Progressives Congress (APC) scored 9,000 but it was changed to 29,000.

He added that the protest was going on simultaneously at different parts of the state.

Also speaking, Isaac Owoicho, Public Relations Officer of the Coalition for Ombugadu, called on INEC to do the needful by announcing Ombugadu as winner of the election.

“We say no to the announced result because this is a complete political sabotage. We want to say clearly that from the inception, President Muhammadu Buhari had a good intention to ensure that votes are counted and good leaders emerged.

“But to our greatest dismay, a man who won just five out of 13 LGAs defeated a man that won nine LGAs.

“In our own eyes, the turn out in governorship election which is supposed to be lower than the presidential election seems to be greater in number than the presidency election.

“Looking at the handwriting on the wall, statistics and record, what we are demanding from INEC is to do the needful in order to ensure that there is peace and tranquility in our state and in our community.

“We are not here to fight; We are here to claim our mandate that has been stolen from us so that the younger generation can believe that their future for Nigeria and the name of INEC can be rewritten in good book of history,”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the protesters were seen carrying placards with inscriptions such as: “#INEC we say no to manipulations; #INEC keep your promise; International communities save our country, our leaders are compromised;

Protect us from Manipulators; We Need our Nation to be Cleansed from Injustice and Manipulation; The Will and Rights of the People Must be Respected.”