The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kano, Engineer Abba Kabir Yusuf, popularly known as Abba Gida-Gida, has vowed to upturn the victory of Governor Abduallahi Umar Ganduje, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the election’s tribunal.

In an exclusive interview with Daily Trust, the PDP governorship candidate alleged that INEC and security agents compromised to rig the elections in favour of the APC, adding that his party had assembled documentary evidence to present to the tribunal.

He said they were ready to prove that no election held on the date slated for the rerun as thugs sponsored by the APC and protected by the police, took over polling units and drove away voters.

According to him, “The election was not recognized by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act, and was marred by violence, maiming, killing of innocent people and so on.

“Definitely the result that came out was so unfortunate that we just have to go to court.

“The senator and the PDP, in fact the entire Kano people have rejected the election result in totality.

“Ninety per cent of Nigerians have also rejected it. The international community, the EU observers, international observers, and everybody have rejected it. Everybody knows that justice has not been done and that is why everybody is unhappy.”

Ganduje defeated Abba to win a second term after a supplementary election last week, cancelling an early lead by the PDP candidate from a first round of voting that held on March 9.

Both Abba and the PDP have accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigeria’s electoral umpire, and police of aiding the ruling APC to rig the election for Ganduje, a charge they have denied.

•Excerpted from a Daily Trust report

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