The organizing secretary of the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State, Mustapha Atiku Ribadu has disclosed that the Adamawa State Independent Electoral Commission (ADSIEC) did not conduct election in many local governments of the state.
Ribadu in a chat with our reporter noted that election did not hold in the governor’s local government of Madagali, Mubi South, Mubi North Maiha, Hong, Gombi, Song, Guyuk, Lamurde and Shelleng but against every democratic norm, the state electoral body returned PDP candidates as winners.
He noted that the electoral officer of Mubi South in a viral video confessed that election did not take place in the area adding that election took place in only one polling unit, Mayo Nguli in Maiha local government.
“There was no election in Madagali, the governor’s home town and Mubi South where the EO confessed on a viral video that election did not hold. The same thing happened in Mubi North.
“In Maiha local government, election took place in only in one polling unit, Mayo Nguli.
“Similarly, election did not hold in Hong, Gombi, Song, Guyuk, Lamurde and Shelleng local governments but despite that results were fabricated by the ADSIEC alluding that PDP won all contested positions. What a farce?
“There was election in Yola South but it was marred by massive irregularities occasioned by all manner of electoral heists. But despite that we still accepted the outcome and won 3 councillorship comprising of Bako, Mbamoi, and Toungo wards.
“Surprisingly only 2 of our councillors were sworn in and all efforts to regularize the situation and to make the electoral body to do what is needful fell on deaf ears.
“I personally met with the ADSIEC chairman, Alh Isa Shatima and informed him of the rumour before the swearing in. But to show that he has no remorse he told me that denying opposition their deserved victories have been the trademark of the electoral body.
“He even asked me a rhetoric question of where I was in 2016 implying that in 2016 while the APC held sway in the state, majority of those who won were APC candidates and so there is nothing new. I told him I don’t care about what happened in 2016 all I am interested is compliance with the provisions of the constitution,” he said.
Ribadu who hails from Yola South while narrating the rationale for the massive victory of APC in the area, said, the victory was a result of synergy, cooperation, team work, hard-work and discipline adding that because of their focus, unity of purpose and determination the PDP rigging machine was crushed in the area.
“From the onset we put our house in order and worked as a team. For instance, in Bako ward where four aspirants indicated interest, we convene a stakeholders meeting and reached a consensus resulting in three of them voluntarily withdrawing from the race.
“The three willingly stepped down for one of them, Hon Muhammed Amiru. So we went into the polls as one big family. We went into action did a house to house campaign which paid premiums despite the PDPs rigging machine,” he said.
Ribadu however said there is currently a subterranean efforts by the state government to set him on collision course with his uncle, Hon. Jafaru Ribadu a senior stakeholder of PDP in Bako ward who also fielded his political son as the candidate of the PDP.
“Coincidentally, the PDP candidate is a son to my father’s friend and I have a good rapport with his parents and siblings.
“Ironically when armed men raided my sister’s house some days back, the PDP candidate and his brothers were the first people to come to her rescue , that’s how close we are,” he said.
