Taraba south PRP Senate candidate rejects result over exclusion of party logo on ballot
By Terna Chikpa, Jalingo
The Senatorial Candidate of the Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, for Taraba South, Iliyasu Gadu, has rejected the result of the purported election held on February 25, over the exclusion of the PRP logo on the ballot paper and call on the Independent national electoral Commission INEC to cancel the result.
He said the Independent National Electoral Commission, violated the judgement of a Federal High Court directing the electoral umpire to include his party logo on the ballot paper.
Gadu who spoke at a briefing in Jalingo, rejected the outcome of the poll that saw candidate of the All Progressive Congress, APC, emerge victorious.
According to him, “I was one of the thousands of people who came out to exercise their constitutional rights on that day. To my utter surprise, I discovered that the logo of my party, PRP, was not on the ballot paper of the Senate elections.
“Effectively this meant that my political party and thousands of my supporters were unlawfully being excluded from participating in the Senate elections by INEC.
“I could not think of any reason why INEC would exclude my party from participating in the Senate because all outstanding issues regarding my candidacy had been conclusively resolved between my party and INEC which cleared the way for me to be a candidate for the Senatorial elections under PRP.
“When INEC released what it termed as final list of candidates for the various elective positions for the 2023 elections having closed its portal which excluded some of us from the PRP along with others from other political parties, our party in Suit No FHC/ABJ/CS/2017/2022 sought and was granted a court order at the Federal High Court by JUSTICE I.E Ekwo on January 23rd directing INEC to open the portal and include our names as candidates for the various elective positions in the 2023 elections.
“Accordingly, our party duly applied and submitted our names to INEC to be uploaded on its portal for the 2023 elections.
“To my disappointment on election day, INEC excluded my party, PRP, from the ballot papers of the Senatorial elections which I was a bonafide candidate.
“This act by INEC is utter contempt of the electoral law and judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction, denying me and my party the right to participate in the 2023 Senatorial elections.
“I am therefore calling on INEC to immediately cancel the purported Senate elections which took place on Saturday February 25 and organise a fresh one with my party’s logo included.
“INEC is also being called upon to rectify similar anomalies if they exist before the coming Governorship and State Assembly Elections.
“I am also discussing with my lawyers on the legal options available which may include asking for just compensation in view of the aggravated damages including cost, trauma and opprobrium caused to me and my party by this unlawful act of INEC.”
