The Kaduna State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP has written to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC reminding the Commission of its provision in the INEC Regulations and Guidelines in declaring election results.
The letter which was signed by the PDP State collation agent, Danjuma Bello Sarki and addressed to the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Kaduna State on Monday was against the backdrop of the confusion trailing the collation of results of the governorship and State House of Assemblies election conducted on Saturday, March 18, 2023, with a winner yet to be declared, 78 hours after in Kaduna State.
The governorship election in Kaduna State was keenly contested between Senator Uba Sani of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and Isah Asiru Kudan of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, among others.
The opposition PDP insisted on the observance of “the provision of Paragraph 82 of INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the
Conduct of elections, 2022 and to be guided by same in the discharge of your duties as Returning Officer of the Governorship Election in Kaduna State, especially as it relates to the Declaration of the Winner of the Election.”
Copy of the letter which was sent to newsmen on Monday read: “I hereby write as Returning Officer of the Peoples Democratic Party for the Governorship Election in Kaduna State, I write you to draw your attention to the provision of Paragraph 82 of INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections, 2022 and to be guided by same in the discharge of your duties as Returning Officer of the Governorship Election in Kaduna State, especially as it relates to the Declaration of the Winner of the Election.
“Section 82 Where the margin of lead between the two leading candidates is less than the total number of PVCs collected in the Polling Unit(s) where election was held or was cancelled in line with Sections 24(2 and amp; 3), 47(3) and 51(2) of the Electoral Act 2022 the Returning Officer shall decline to make a return until polls have taken place in the affected Polling Unit(s) and the results incorporated into new Form EC8D and subsequently recorded into Form EC8E for Declaration and Return.”
The letter further cited the celebrated case of GIDADO & ANOR V. MOHAMMED & ORS (2015) LPELR – 40356 to insist on the strict observance of the guidelines before declaring Kaduna election results.
The letter further cited: “Where the margin of win between the two leading candidates is not in excess of the total
number of the registered voters of the polling unit(s) where the election was cancelled or not held, declined to make a return until another
poll has taken place in the affected polling unit(s) and the result incorporated into the new form EC 8C (1) and subsequently
recorded into form EC 8E (1) FOR Declaration and Return.
PDP claims massive cancellation of election results conducted in many polling units of Kaduna State, particularly in Kudan Local Government where the election result in two Wards of Garu and Kauran Wali North Wards were not entered in
the collated Governorship election result for the Kudan Local Government Council.