By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo
KADUNA — The Appeals Committee of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in Kaduna State has affirmed the emergence of Shuaibu Idris Mikati as the party’s governorship candidate while ordering fresh and rerun primary elections in several federal and state constituencies.
Chairman of the committee, Dr. Muhammed Mustapha Fagge, announced the decisions after the panel reviewed petitions, documentary evidence and submissions from aggrieved aspirants following the party’s recently concluded primaries.
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 primary.
According to him, evidence presented before the committee also revealed irregularities and fraudulent activities linked to some competing governorship aspirants, further reinforcing the decision to affirm Mikati as the party’s flag bearer.
The committee also upheld the victories of Tukur Salisu Kakeyi in the Zaria Federal Constituency primary and Muhammed Mahmoud Aliyu in the Soba Federal Constituency contest after confirming that both aspirants polled the highest number of valid votes.
However, the panel declared several primary elections inconclusive and ordered reruns where it found substantial irregularities, procedural breaches, omission of candidates and inadequate evidence of voting.
In the Ikara/Kubau Federal Constituency, the committee directed a rerun after finding that a duly screened aspirant, Ibrahim Danlami Kubau, was omitted from the ballot papers.
Similarly, it ordered a fresh primary election for Kaduna South Federal Constituency after investigations showed there was no credible evidence that elections were conducted across all wards in the constituency.
Fagge said 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.
The committee also ruled on the Kaduna North Senatorial District primary, declaring that any attempt to adopt a consensus or affirmation process would be invalid unless it enjoys the consent of all parties involved.
He said the panel was guided by the principles of justice, transparency, inclusiveness and internal democracy in reaching its decisions.
“Our decisions were reached strictly on the basis of 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,” Fagge said.
The committee expressed confidence that its decisions would help resolve disputes arising from the primaries, facilitate the conduct of rerun elections where necessary and strengthen confidence in the party’s preparations for future electoral contests in Kaduna State.
