By Oboh Linus, Lafia
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) Electoral Committee for Nasarawa State has explained the delay in announcing the results of the party’s gubernatorial primaries, citing procedural breaches and a lack of verifiable physical counting in four local government areas.
Barrister Solomon Dalong, Chairman of the ADC Gubernatorial Primary Committee for Nasarawa State, briefed newsmen on Monday in Lafia.
Dalong said the process was marred with irregularities in four Local Government Areas of the state; Doma, Nasarawa, Toto and Karu, respectively, according to a report by the electoral officers.
“That dragged for five hours and held the electoral committee hostage, so we could not operate the first day. Finally, when we agreed on it, elections took place that day, but very, very late,” Dalong stated.
He explained that the delay affected the schedule for the gubernatorial primaries and the return of electoral officers, who returned the following day with unresolved issues.
“While collation for the House of Assembly, House of Representatives, and Senate primaries has been completed and declared, collation for the gubernatorial election is complete in nine local governments, with four remaining outstanding, he explained.
Dalong, who identified the affected LGAs as Doma, Nasarawa, Toto, and Karu, said that each LGA has distinct problems related to the conduct of the primaries.
He explained that under ADC’s direct primary guidelines, two conditions must be met for results to be valid including evidence of physical counting of party members and a corresponding result sheet.
Dalong said, “If there is no evidence of physical counting, direct primaries do not take place. The motto of the guidelines of the ADC said the electoral committee shall not recognise, or accept any election where members of the party were not physically counted.
“In Doma, no election was conducted, only written results were submitted, and agents confirmed they had no carbon copies.
“In Toto, the electoral officers reported being detained by unknown persons in Keffi from noon to 10 p.m. and later presented results obtained under those circumstances.
“Nasarawa LGA, materials were distributed at a vigilante post, but the officer said he was not allowed to proceed and was later given the results.
“Violence preceded the election in Karu, and the party chairman was attacked. The electoral officer abandoned the process, and an unauthorised person later submitted results.”
Dalong cited Section 10 of the Electoral Act, which states that unauthorised possession of electoral materials is an offence punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment or a fine of 10 million Naira.
The Committee Chairman said he had already tabulated the collated results from the nine LGAs and would address the remaining four today.
Dalong further said that a full report detailing the irregularities will be submitted to the ADC National Secretariat after the primaries for further party action. (NAN)
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