The New Nigeria’s Peoples Party (NNPP) said it has totally rejected the outcome of March 18 governorship election in Taraba state, urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to correct the injustice done to the party and its governorship candidate.
INEC had announced the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Kefas Agbu as the winner of the governorship election in Taraba state
But the National Chairman of NNPP, Prof Rufai Alkali, at a press conference alleged that “the victory of his party in Taraba state in the March 18 election was brazenly stolen in broad daylight using some compromised security agents.”
He stated: “When it was apparent that NNPP was coasting home to victory, some forces of darkness went into action and not minding the costs, they embarked on a mission to just destroy the whole process. At the end of the day, they tried to achieve their evil plan at a huge cost in terms of lives and property they wasted in the process.
“We in New Nigeria’s Peoples Party (NNPP) therefore totally reject that PDP won the gubernatorial elections in Taraba state. “It was saddening that in the 21 century, 63 years after independence and 24 years into the current democratic dispensation, the elite in Nigeria still have terrible and unholy attitude towards getting power at all costs”.
“This issue has already been taken up and details are available to the INEC, and we urge the electoral umpire to urgently correct the injustice done to NNPP and our governorship candidate to bring lasting peace and stability in Taraba state.”
The NNPP National chairman also condemned the spate of violence that characterised the presidential and National Assembly elections on February 25 as well as the March 18 governorship election, accusing the APC of allegedly perpetrating violence in many parts of country including Kano.
He explained, “From the look of things, because they know their popularity was at the zero level in Kano state, their game plan to cause chaos and confusion across the state and ensure elections did not hold, and thereafter used some INEC officials and compromised security personnel to manipulate the process and announce their election results cooled up well in advance.
“However the people of Kano were vigilant and we’re therefore prepared for them as such their nefarious plans could not be actualised. A good example of this was what happened in Dala local government where the returning officer used every delay tactics to abort the announcement of the elections results already collated until the people of the LGA persuaded him to announce the results.”
While relating the incidents of the presidential and National Assembly polls in Kano state, Prof Alkali, recalled how the “Majority Leader of the House of Reps had led thugs to burn down the secretariat in Tundun Wada/Doguwa federal constituency with our members inside the building.
“Not satisfied with this barbaric act he used his gun to kill others. At the end of the invasion, about 12 innocent members of our party lost their lives. Their offence was that they had gone to the party office to conduct legitimate business. The security agencies are still investigating this matter and the case had been refered to the courts.
“Yet as we speak right now, this man who carried out this murder in cold blood is walking the streets of Nigeria free. Is this not provocative enough? Does this mean those innocent people who were killed have died in vain. Does it mean that lives have no value in our country again? Does it mean if you belong to the ruling party you can do anything, however criminal and nothing would happen?”
