ADC upholds Kaduna gov candidate, orders rerun in disputed areas

The African Democratic Congress primary election appeals committee in Kaduna State has affirmed the emergence of Shuaibu Mikati as the party’s governorship candidate, while ordering a fresh and rerun exercise in several federal and state constituencies.

This followed the treatment of petitions arising from the party’s recently concluded primaries.

Chairman of the committee, Dr Muhammed Fagge, announced the decisions on Tuesday, saying the panel carefully reviewed petitions, documentary evidence and submissions from aggrieved aspirants before reaching its verdicts.

Fagge, a retired Comptroller of Immigration, said the committee unanimously upheld Mikati’s victory after establishing that he secured the highest number of valid votes cast during the governorship primaries.

According to him, evidence presented before the panel also revealed irregularities and fraudulent activities allegedly linked to some competing governorship aspirants, which further reinforced the committee’s decision to affirm Mikati as the party’s flagbearer.

Fagge said, “The committee thoroughly examined all petitions and supporting documents. After a painstaking review, we established that Shuaibu Idris Mikati secured the highest number of valid votes cast in the governorship primary election and is therefore duly returned as the party’s candidate.”

The committee also upheld the victories of Tukur Salisu Kakeyi in the Zaria Federal Constituency primaries and Muhammed Mahmoud Aliyu in the Soba Federal Constituency contest after confirming that both aspirants obtained the highest number of lawful votes in their respective elections.

However, the panel declared several primary elections inconclusive and ordered reruns in constituencies where it found substantial irregularities, procedural breaches, omission of aspirants from ballot papers and inadequate evidence of voting.

In the Ikara/Kubau Federal Constituency, the committee directed a rerun after finding that a duly screened aspirant, Ibrahim Kubau, was omitted from the ballot papers.

Similarly, it ordered a fresh exercise for Kaduna South Federal Constituency after investigations allegedly showed that there was no credible evidence that elections were conducted across all wards in the constituency.

Fagge disclosed that rerun elections would be conducted in affected wards and constituencies across Kaura, Soba, Ikara, Kajuru, Badarawa/Malali, Magajin Gari II, Birnin Gwari, Tudun Wada West, Igabi, Kagarko, Kawo, Zaria, Chikun/Kajuru and Kudan/Makarfi, among others.

He explained that the decision was necessary to protect the credibility and integrity of the party’s nomination process.

The committee also delivered a ruling on the Kaduna North Senatorial District primary, declaring that any attempt to adopt a consensus or affirmation process would be invalid unless it received the consent and agreement of all parties involved.

He stressed that no aspirant should be denied a fair opportunity through procedural shortcomings or electoral irregularities.

“Our decisions were reached strictly based on facts, evidence and the provisions of the party’s guidelines.

“The committee remains committed to protecting the integrity of the ADC’s internal democratic process and ensuring that the will of party members prevails,” he said.

The committee chairman expressed optimism that the decisions would help resolve disputes arising from the primaries and strengthen confidence in the party’s preparations for future electoral contests in Kaduna State.

The verdict, he added, would pave the way for the conduct of rerun elections where necessary and reinforce the party’s commitment to internal democracy.