Fresh controversy has emerged within the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Jigawa State, as governorship aspirant and former federal lawmaker, Bashir Adamu Matawallen Kazaure, petitions the party’s Appeal Committee, alleging widespread irregularities in the conduct of the party’s governorship primary election….
Fresh controversy has emerged within the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Jigawa State, as governorship aspirant and former federal lawmaker, Bashir Adamu Matawallen Kazaure, petitions the party’s Appeal Committee, alleging widespread irregularities in the conduct of the party’s governorship primary election.
Bashir Adamu is asking the ADC State Election Appeal Committee to review and nullify the outcome of the governorship primary, which produced Sabo Nagudu as the party’s candidate.
In a petition personally signed and made available to News men in Dutse, the aspirant alleges that the exercise was marred by procedural violations, interference by party officials, delays in the distribution of election materials, and acts of intimidation that he says compromised the credibility of the process.
According to him, the chairman of the primary election committee failed to remain neutral and allegedly acted under the influence of the State Executive Committee, contrary to party guidelines.
Bashir further claims that some state and local government party officials openly supported another aspirant and were entrusted with election materials, a situation he believes affected the integrity of the exercise.
The former lawmaker, who says he played a key role in building the party’s structure across the 27 local government areas of Jigawa State, also alleges that election materials arrived late in several locations, particularly in the North-West Senatorial District.
He says many party members waited for hours without accreditation and eventually left before voting commenced.
The petition also alleges incidents of violence, intimidation and the snatching of election materials in some areas, resulting in disruptions that reportedly forced the electoral committee to cancel the exercise in four local government areas.
Bashir argues that the cancellations and reported irregularities made the primary election inconclusive and therefore questioned the legitimacy of the results announced by the State Executive Committee.
He maintains that only the duly constituted Primary Election Committee has the authority to declare the outcome of the election.
The aspirant is now urging the Appeal Committee to order a fresh primary election, insisting that the exercise did not comply with party guidelines and relevant provisions of the Electoral Act.
Despite his grievances, Bashir Adamu says he remains a loyal member of the ADC and expresses confidence that the party’s Appeal Committee will thoroughly investigate the allegations and ensure fairness for all stakeholders.
The Appeal Committee is yet to publicly respond to the petition, while party members await its decision on a dispute that could shape the future of the ADC in Jigawa State.
