A governorship aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Jigawa State, Hon. Bashir Adamu (Matawallen Kazaure), has formally petitioned the party’s State Election Appeal Committee, demanding a review of the recently held governorship primary election, citing widespread irregularities and violations of party procedures. The petition, personally signed by Adamu and obtained by journalists, outlines serious allegations of misconduct, manipulation, and undue influence during the primary process. He claims the election was compromised by the actions of party officials, particularly the chairman of the primary election committee, who he says abandoned neutrality and acted under pressure from the State Executive Committee.
Adamu accused the chairman of announcing the results under duress, contrary to ADC’s internal regulations, and alleged that the State Executive Committee was biased in favor of another aspirant, Sabo Nagudu. He emphasized his own significant contributions to building the ADC’s structure across all 27 local government areas in Jigawa, expressing disappointment that party officials allegedly mobilized support for his rival and were entrusted with election materials, creating opportunities for manipulation. He further claimed that the distribution of election materials was deliberately delayed, especially in the North-West Senatorial District, causing long waits for party members and forcing many to leave before voting could begin.
The delayed arrival of materials, according to Adamu, created chaos and allowed political thugs loyal to his rival to seize ballots and fabricate results. He cited incidents of violence, intimidation, and thuggery in several parts of the state, which led the electoral committee chairman to cancel the election in four local government areas. These disruptions, he argued, rendered the primary inconclusive and undermined the democratic rights of party members. Adamu also questioned the legitimacy of the results announced by the State Executive Committee, insisting that only the duly constituted Primary Election Committee had the authority to declare the winner.
As a result, he is urging the Appeal Committee to nullify the primary and order a fresh election, citing breaches of both ADC guidelines and the provisions of the Electoral Act. Despite his grievances, Adamu reaffirmed his loyalty to the ADC and expressed confidence that the party would fairly consider his petition. His case highlights ongoing concerns about transparency and fairness in party primaries across Nigeria’s political landscape. The outcome of this appeal could set a precedent for how internal party disputes are handled in future elections.
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