By Abdullahi Abdulrazaq
The candidate of the People’s Redemption Party, PRP, Muhammad Adam Alkali, has vowed to reclaim his “subverted” victory at the just concluded bye-election of Bassa/Jos-North Federal Constituency of Plateau State.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Returning Officer, Yinka Oyerinde, had declared Musa Agah of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, winner of the by-election.
But Mr Alkali, while speaking with reporters in Jos said that he won the election with a majority of lawful votes cast, against the declared winner.
The PRP candidate said all plans had been concluded to challenge the INEC declaration at the election tribunal.
He said: “We have enough evidence to prove that in some electoral wards and many polling units over-voting took place.
“It is evidently clear that manual accreditation was made in some places, in others even the manual accreditation was not made, rather ballot stuffing was made in favour of the PDP candidate,” he alleged.
Mr Alkali restated that INEC election guideline which said that where there is no Bimodal Voter Accreditation Device, BVAD, “No election will hold”.
“In this light, we have widely consulted and the majority of the constituents have suggested that we seek redress most lawfully and we have concluded plans to challenge the return of the PDP candidate in the election tribunal.
“I am strongly appealing to our supporters to remain calm, be peaceful and continue to be prayerful as we get prepared to reclaim our mandate,” he stressed.
