By Ibrahim Ahmadu
The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kanam Local Government Area (LGA) of Plateau State, has rejected the outcome of Saturday’s local government election in the state.
Prof. Salleh Kanam, a stalwart of the party in Kanam, rejected the outcome of the election while addressing newsmen on Thursay in Dengi.
He particularly said that the election in Kanam was marred by irregularities.
Kanam, a former Chairman of the locality noted that from 95 per cent of results collated by the party’s agents, the APC won in 14 out of the 20 wards with a wide margin in LGA.
Salleh, who alleged that electoral officials disappeared with results sheets, called on the Plateau Independent Electoral Commission (PLASIEC) to properly collate the results of the polls.
”Voting went peacefully and our people turnout in mass to vote our candidates.
” APC candidates overwhelmingly won 95% of the election in Kanam; we won in 14 out of the 20 wards.
”All the returning officers for this local government absconded from the ward collation centres,” he alleged.
Mohammed also raised concerns over the delay in announcing the results, noting that by established practice, the results would have been announced considering that there were minor territorial or logistic challenges encountered.
Also speaking, Mr. Kalamu Idris (APC-Dengi constituency), described the event as a ”miscarriage of justice”.
He explained that the outcome of the election in the locality was far from what the electoral umpire promised the people of the state.
Idris called on PLASIEC to do the needful by announcing the actual winners of the election in Kanam and other LGAs in the state.
The lawmaker, however, called on the people to be peaceful and law abiding.
However, a coalition of election observers, under the aegis of Nigeria Network for Peace and Good Governance, commended PLASIEC for successfully conducting the polls.
Mr James Shalom, spokesperson of the group, lauded PLASIEC for ensuring a peaceful and transparent electoral process across the state.
He maintained that inspite of the initial challenges encountered, particularly the late arrival of election materials in some polling units, insisted that the exercise was generally credible.
