How Karim 1 Bye-Election Was Rigged, Manipulated — Taraba PDP

• Rejects Result, Demands Inconclusive Poll

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Taraba State has alleged that the Karim-Lamido I State Constituency by-election held on August 16 was rigged and manipulated in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Addressing a press conference in Jalingo, the State Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Bawa, described the conduct of the election as “a macabre show of mafia gangsterism” that portends danger for democracy in Taraba.

“What transpired in Karim-Lamido on the 16th and 17th August was inexplicable recklessness and barefaced subversion of democratic decorum and standards,” Bawa declared. “Like scenes from horror films, results were snatched at gun points, doctored and forced on the Returning Officers.”

The PDP insisted that the party actually won the contest based on results collated at the ward level. According to its figures, PDP scored 7,599 votes, APC 6,166 votes, ADC 1,797 votes, and SDP 136 votes. “The authentic scores of political parties as collated at the various ward collation centres put PDP clearly ahead,” Bawa said.

The party pointed to Bikwin Ward as a clear case of manipulation. “In Bikwin Ward, PDP scored 3,737 votes as announced by the Ward Collation Officer. But by the time it got to the Constituency Collation Centre, our votes had been reduced to 1,963,” Bawa alleged.

Similarly, in Karim ‘B’ Ward, at Angwan Yakubu/Mambilo polling unit, Bawa said: “PDP won with 337 votes, APC got 108. Yet the result was rejected because alterations were discovered on the original result sheet. The Ward Collation Officer refused to accept it. This is part of the systematic effort to suppress our votes.”

The PDP further faulted INEC’s decision to cancel results in 10 polling units with over 7,000 registered voters and more than 3,000 accredited voters, noting that the margin of lead between APC and PDP was less than 500 votes.

“Since the lead margin is lower than the cancelled votes, the poll ought to have been declared inconclusive,” Bawa said. “Our party is committed to the ideals of credible election and insists that, on the principle of margin of lead, Karim I poll should never have been declared concluded.”

Rejecting the result announced by INEC on August 17, Bawa said: “The PDP went into the contest with absolute innocence, basking in precedence of orderly conduct of elections in Taraba. What we met was gangsterism. What we saw portends danger to our democracy.”

He urged PDP supporters to remain calm while the party pursues legal and political options to reclaim what it described as its stolen mandate. “We appeal to our teeming supporters to remain calm as we explore legitimate options to recover the victory freely given to us by the people,” he added.