By Ben Adoga
The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP on Monday raised the alarm of plans to cancel already collated results.
This is as the party had assured of looking into the suspension saga of its National Chairman, Sen. Iyiochia Ayu and its counterclaims.
Speaking to newsmen in the party Secretariat Monday, the National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba said it has come to their knowledge that the All Progressives Congress, APC after trying to falsify results without success are now working in cohort with some INEC officials to cancel already collated results.
Ologunagba stated that ” the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has been made aware of fresh plots by the defeated All Progressives Congress (APC) and certain compromised officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Adamawa State to further manipulate the outcome of the March 18, 2023, Governorship election in the State.
As already declared by INEC, the final tabulation of results from the polling units across Adamawa State, the PDP candidate, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, is in a clear lead with 31,299 lawful votes above the defeated candidate of the APC, Senator Aisha Binani, who has been desperate to compromise the election against the expressed will of the good people of Adamawa State.”
The PDP had earlier alerted Nigerians of how the APC and “some compromised INEC officials” attempted to move the collation of results of the Adamawa State Governorship election from Yola to Abuja to enable the INEC Returning Officer to declare the defeated APC candidate the winner.
“When that plot failed, the APC pressured INEC to cancel results in 69 Polling Units citing overvoting but with the clandestine intention of manipulating the re-run election in favour of the APC candidate.
“The PDP alerts the people of Adamawa of fresh plots by the APC, its hired agents and compromised officials of INEC to alter and cancel the already declared results in 21 Local Government Areas where elections have been concluded and declared.
“This is part of APC’s plot to facilitate the manipulation and/or alteration of the already declared results in favour of the APC candidate against the expressed will of the people.
“The PDP has evidence of reported complicity of the Adamawa State REC, Mallam Hudu Yunusa Ari, in which he was allegedly caught on tape directing the Electoral Officer of Fufore Local Government Area in the Hausa Language to alter results in favour of the APC governorship candidate.
The PDP, therefore, has recommended that the Electoral Officer, Mallam Hudu Yunusa Ari be immediately relieved of his position as well as the State Resident Electoral Commissioner and handed over to the Police for a thorough investigation and prosecution.
They warned: “The PDP in very strong terms cautions INEC and the APC not to, under any circumstance or guise whatsoever, tamper with the results already announced and declared at the polling units where the election has been concluded and returns made by the Returning Officers without any reported case of disruption or cancellation.”
They claim that they are firmly on the ground in Adamawa State and that their candidate, Governor Fintiri is in clear lead and that they were ready for the re-run election in the 69 polling units.
They warned INEC not to do anything that would disrupt the peace which Adamawa State is known for.
On their suspended National Chairman, the party spokesman said the PDP is a well-structured party where systems work, so they would look into the case.
