Special Correspondent, SUNNY ONU, who is on the ground in Maiduguri, Borno State, examines the upshot of the Borno Central Senatorial bye-election.
Although, the Borno Central Senatorial bye-election has come and gone, the outcome has left much to be desired. It has continued to generate heated controversy, even as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Umara Mohammed Kaka Bolori, has vowed to institute legal action aimed at nullifying the election which he claimed was grossly manipulated by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials with the connivance of security agents to favour the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate.
The results released showed that the APC candidate, Kaka Bashir Gaibeir, who was declared winner of the election by the INEC Returning Officer, Professor Mohammed Fannami, scored 120,639 votes to defeat the PDP candidate who scored 32,346 votes. The scores of other political parties are as follows: Kowa Party (KP) 1042, Social Democratic Party (SDP) 660, National Conscience Party (NCP) 207, Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) 136, and PPN 79. And the total votes cast stood at 159,998.
The bye-election was as a result of the death of Senator Ahmed Zanna who represented the federal constituency.
Watchers of Borno politics contend that the Bolori fury, which refused to subside to the extent of threatening court action since the announcement of the result, may not be unconnected with the fact that few days to the Election Day (Saturday, October 31), it was believed that the PDP was leading in public opinion polls.
And even on the day the result was announced, unconfirmed result placed on social media pointed clearly that Bolori was ahead in the race.
Addressing journalists in this regard in Maiduguri, Bolori, who was visibly fuming, described the result as absurd with massive manipulation.
“This election was a charade, full of manipulation of figures which is far different from what was actually obtained at the polling units in the presence of all the political party agents,” Bolori observed.
“The entire election process was full of massive rigging, harassment, humiliation, threats, assaults and use of money as well as civilian JTF (Joint Task Force) and security agents to beat, humiliate and harass PDP supporters and polling agents of all the opposition parties including PDP.
“It was shocking that over 100 PDP polling agents and supporters were beaten by APC thugs and civilian JTF who were conscripted as security officials of the election against the earlier arrangements that civilian JTF would not be involved in the exercise.”
The PDP candidate, however, said his party is presently compiling the actual election results at the polls, which he said is different from the ones presented by the INEC and APC.
He alleged conspiracy between the APC and INEC, adding that the INEC results were altered to match that of the APC.
Bolori said video clips and photographs of some youths, security agents and civilian JTF used to attack PDP agents during the election were being compiled to be given to the party’s counsel to institute a strong case challenging the verdict of the election in competent court of law, for justice to prevail.
He expressed disappointment over the manner APC conducted itself during the election despite the standing order of President Muhammadu Buhari on anti-corruption, justice and credible election as well as quest for peace and good governance.
Accusing the APC of using public money to execute the election, Bolori stressed that both the civilian JTF and military were used during the election as government machinery.
Said Bolori: “I thank all the voters that voted for me and the party during the election that was not free nor fair and full of massive rigging. INEC and security agents compromised the election. We intend to challenge the outcome of the election in the court of law because the election lacked credibility and was unreliable. The conduct of the election is full of harassment by the civilian JTF and security agents beating our polling agents and party officials.
“The attitude of INEC and security agents surely will not deter us from seeking justice. We are now preparing the actual election results for presentation to the party’s lawyer to challenge INEC and APC in court.
“A legal action will be instituted by our lawyer in court. All political party agents refused to sign the results of INEC except APGA and APC agents that signed the outcome of the results in INEC office in Maiduguri because the results were different from those we all have except APC and INEC that have the same results on the results sheets at the collation centre.
“We have videos and pictures of PDP youths and agents beaten by over 40 civilian JTF and APC thugs to present as evidence or exhibits in court for the election to be cancelled for fresh election or PDP to be declared winner of the election.”
Another PDP chieftain, Ibrahim Tanko, also described the outcome of the bye-election as unacceptable by his party due to malpractice.
Tanko said what went on at the polls was a show of shame, urging INEC to rise up to the challenge of conducting a credible election.
“We shall not leave any stone unturned in making sure that we seek redress through legal means. Everybody knew very well that we were winning, but because of undue harassment and intimidation meted to our agents at the various polling units, the election was rigged and our mandate was ostensibly usurped by APC,” Tanko maintained.
But according to Gaibeir, the election was not manipulated, as he was the people’s choice.
He told TheNiche that he won on a clean slate and was ready to win again if the situation demands. “I am the people’s choice and the people truly gave me their mandate. We must learn to accept defeat.”