INEC list: I’ll reclaim my stolen mandate in court — Abacha

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Kano State, Mohammed Abacha, who was dropped for Sadiq Wali, says he has instructed his lawyers to institute legal action to reclaim his “stolen mandate”.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had released the list of governorship candidates of all political parties in Kano State while Abacha’s name was missing despite emerging from the court-sanctioned faction of the PDP.

The electoral body had, on Friday, pasted the name of Wali as the gubernatorial candidate of the PDP in Kano State.

The Star had earlier reported that the battle for supremacy led to litigations between Kano State Chairman, Shehu Wada Sagagi, and North-West Vice Chairman of the PDP, Sen. Bello Gwarzo, where the former’s legitimacy was affirmed by a Federal High Court.

Abacha, who emerged as the winner of the Kano PDP governorship primaries conducted by Sagagi-led leadership, told newsmen in Kano that he was shocked to discover that his name was replaced with Wali when INEC displayed the list of the candidates in its Kano office.

Wali won the primary election at a parallel primaries organised by the factional leadership loyal to Sen. Gwarzo.

Speaking on the development, Abacha said: “I have asked my lawyers to file a suit on the matter next week. I’m heading to court to reclaim my stolen mandate.

“What happened was a complete electoral fraud, you can’t build something on nothing.

“I don’t expect this to happen with the amended Electoral Act in place. The era of impunity and lawlessness is over in Nigeria. I believe in the supremacy of the law and I have strong confidence that justice shall prevail.”

It would be recalled that Abacha had a similar experience in 2011 in the now defunct Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) when he contested against Lawan Jafaru Isa in the party’s primary election.

INEC’s Public Relations Officer in Kano, Ahmad Adam Maulud, had earlier told The Star that the list was sent to them from Abuja, adding that “whoever wishes to seek any clarification should contact national body of his or her party for any information.”

The Star