‎Alleged electoral heist against Mustapha Salihu instigated by fear of electoral defeat – Ribadu

‎Alleged electoral heist against Mustapha Salihu instigated by fear of electoral defeat – Ribadu
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‎The Organizing Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State, Mustapha Atiku Ribadu, has dismissed allegation of electoral malpractice against the party’s National Vice Chairman (North-East), Comrade Mustapha Salihu, describing it as a campaign of calumny born out of fear of imminent electoral defeat.
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‎The controversy stems from accusations leveled by some chieftains of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Adamawa, who alleged that Salihu was involved in hijacking sensitive electoral materials, including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines, during the just-concluded Ganye State Constituency bye-election.
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‎Ribadu, however, rubbished the claims, insisting that they were baseless, illogical, and indicative of the PDP’s desperation.
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‎Speaking with newsmen in Yola, he stressed that such allegations only revealed a “deep ignorance” of modern electoral procedures.
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‎“It is strange that in this age, when technology has become the bedrock of credible elections, some people will accuse Salihu of stealing BVAS machines. Of what use will they be to him?” Ribadu asked.
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‎He explained that the accusation was not only unfounded but also ill-timed, given that the incident in question occurred at a polling unit where the APC was already leading with a wide margin adding that it was illogical to accuse Salihu of attempting to rig an election in a unit where his party was comfortably ahead.
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‎“The accusation even became more ridiculous in the face of the fact that the polling unit where the PDP deliberately orchestrated the unnecessary bedlam was a stronghold of the APC. Our party was already leading with a wide margin. How then can anyone accuse us of trying to rig there?” Ribadu queried.
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‎He alleged that the PDP, sensing defeat in the bye-election, sponsored thugs to create a crisis at the polling unit hiding under the decoy of over voting with the intention of having the results canceled. According to him, the chaos was a calculated strategy to undermine the APC’s advantage in the constituency.
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‎“What actually happened was that some PDP hirelings, disturbed by the imminent defeat, deliberately concocted a crisis to ensure that the results of the polling unit was canceled,” Ribadu explained.
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‎He clarified further that when the situation escalated, security operatives were called in to restore order. In their presence, the BVAS machines in dispute were secured and moved to the central security office.
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‎”Despite these measures, the results of the polling unit were ultimately canceled by electoral officials to our disadvantage,” he said.
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‎Ribadu said the development was unfortunate and has portrayed PDP’s desperation to win a major election through the backdoor.

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‎He maintained that Comrade Mustapha Salihu has no hand in any wrongdoing, describing him instead as a true democrat who has worked all his life to ensure electoral democracy thrives in Nigeria.
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‎“Our opponents know they cannot defeat us at the ballot box, so they resort to lies and propaganda. But no amount of smear campaign will stop the APC from consolidating its victory in Adamawa,” he concluded.
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‎The Ganye bye-election, which attracted keen attention from both major parties, has once again highlighted the fierce rivalry between the APC and PDP in Adamawa State. While the APC has declared confidence in its rising popularity, the PDP maintains that irregularities marred the contest.
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