The former Secretary to Government of the Federation and a chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Adamawa State, Engr Babachir Lawal has described last Saturday’s Local Government elections in the state has one that lacked all features of a credible, free and fair election.
Lawal said the elections was “crass” and a “disrespect” to the people of the state who were promised a credible, free and fair election by Governor Ahmad Umaru Fintiri.
Lawal who said this in a press statement made available to journalists in Yola, alleged that no election held in Hong LGA in the state.
The former SGF revealed that because of the election irregularities, youths of Hong set up bonfires and barricaded the roads in Hong and it only took the intervention of the police, himself and other people’s goodwill to calm down the situation.
“In spite of past assurances by the Adamawa State governor that there will be an open, free and fair LGA election, there was no election in Hong LGA even in a single polling unit.
“No elections materials and no election officials were sighted anywhere in the LGA up to 4 pm on Saturday before I returned to Yola,” Lawal said.
While disturbed over the conduct of the election, Lawal said he expected the present government to have conducted a free and fair election because if the Federal Government did not allow INEC to conduct a credible election in the state he wouldn’t have been a governor.
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“Whoever will be a beneficiary of this criminality should note that he/she will be an illegitimate occupant of the office and has every cause to be ashamed of his/her role in this shameful conduct,” he added.
While calling on the electorate and all aggrieved persons to remain calm, he advised them to pursue their issues in line with the dictates of the law as relates to elections.
However, Chairman, Adamawa State Independent Electoral Commission (ADSIEC), Alhaji Isa Shettima, denied Lawal’s claims that elections did not hold in Hong LGA.
Shettima said elections held in Hong LGA, adding that bonfires were not set by angry youth in Hong.
He added that the former SGF can say whatever he feels he want to say.
“I have my records, all polling agents, security agents and election observers have testified that I conducted a free and fair election. Based on the records I have, Hong election was fairly done.
“Babachir is lying to have said that youths were aggrieved and wanted to protest at the cause of the election. In fact, nothing like that,” he added.
He said that the election in the state is free and credible since no lives was lost during the polls against what was obtained in Ekiti State where some lives were lost.
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