Bello can’t inherit Audu’s votes, won’t be gov – PDP
The Peoples Democratic Party has described as a waste of time, resources and ridiculous shadow-chasing the action of the Independent National Electoral Commission in declaring the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Mr. Yahaya Bello, as the governor-elect of Kogi State.
The PDP alleged that INEC, in a bid to satisfy the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC Federal Government, succeeded in making a mockery of itself and the entire electoral process by trying to install an individual, who it said, was not a valid candidate for the election.
The party also alleged that Bello merely scored, under his name, a paltry 6,885 votes in the supplementary election as against the 204,877 votes polled by the PDP candidate, Governor Idris Wada, in the overall election.
These were contained in a statement on Sunday by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh.
The opposition party stated, “The action of INEC in trying to transfer the votes earlier garnered by the dead APC candidate, Prince Audu Abubakar, to another individual is completely impractical and alien to the nation’s constitution and the Electoral Act.
“The declaration by INEC that Bello polled the highest number of votes is an embarrassing travesty of the nation’s democracy and electoral process.
“Not only that this individual is not in any way a valid candidate in the election, he also did not score the overall votes declared against his name by INEC and cannot be declared winner under any circumstance within the provisions of our laws.”
Metuh said the provisions of the constitution and the Electoral Act were clear to the effect that with the unfortunate death of Audu before the conclusion of the election, and the fact that the laws did not permit the replacement of candidates once the balloting had commenced, the APC had crashed out of the race.
It said this left the PDP candidate, Wada, as the clear winner, having garnered 204,877 votes to top all other contestants, since Audu, the hitherto leading contestant, died with his votes.
He said, “It is therefore unfortunate that INEC disregarded the provisions of the constitution and the Electoral Act, which left it with no other legitimate option but to declare Governor Idris Wada the governor-elect.
“Instead, it went ahead to preside over a charade, for which it is now attempting to illicitly hand over the votes cast for a dead man to another person, who did not participate in the overall election.
“We all, including INEC and the APC, know that nothing other than declaring Wada winner of the election fulfills the requirements of the law under the circumstance.
“The APC cannot have two candidates in one election and the bitter in-fighting within their fold shows the absurdity of INEC’s decision in that regard.
“Indeed, we remain shocked that INEC could elect to create such an embarrassing and inciting setting just to show its ‘friendship’ with the ruling government.
The PDP alleged that INEC, in a bid to satisfy the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC Federal Government, succeeded in making a mockery of itself and the entire electoral process by trying to install an individual, who it said, was not a valid candidate for the election.
The party also alleged that Bello merely scored, under his name, a paltry 6,885 votes in the supplementary election as against the 204,877 votes polled by the PDP candidate, Governor Idris Wada, in the overall election.
These were contained in a statement on Sunday by the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Chief Olisa Metuh.
The opposition party stated, “The action of INEC in trying to transfer the votes earlier garnered by the dead APC candidate, Prince Audu Abubakar, to another individual is completely impractical and alien to the nation’s constitution and the Electoral Act.
“The declaration by INEC that Bello polled the highest number of votes is an embarrassing travesty of the nation’s democracy and electoral process.
“Not only that this individual is not in any way a valid candidate in the election, he also did not score the overall votes declared against his name by INEC and cannot be declared winner under any circumstance within the provisions of our laws.”
Metuh said the provisions of the constitution and the Electoral Act were clear to the effect that with the unfortunate death of Audu before the conclusion of the election, and the fact that the laws did not permit the replacement of candidates once the balloting had commenced, the APC had crashed out of the race.
It said this left the PDP candidate, Wada, as the clear winner, having garnered 204,877 votes to top all other contestants, since Audu, the hitherto leading contestant, died with his votes.
He said, “It is therefore unfortunate that INEC disregarded the provisions of the constitution and the Electoral Act, which left it with no other legitimate option but to declare Governor Idris Wada the governor-elect.
“Instead, it went ahead to preside over a charade, for which it is now attempting to illicitly hand over the votes cast for a dead man to another person, who did not participate in the overall election.
“We all, including INEC and the APC, know that nothing other than declaring Wada winner of the election fulfills the requirements of the law under the circumstance.
“The APC cannot have two candidates in one election and the bitter in-fighting within their fold shows the absurdity of INEC’s decision in that regard.
“Indeed, we remain shocked that INEC could elect to create such an embarrassing and inciting setting just to show its ‘friendship’ with the ruling government.
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