INEC fails to give Kaduna governor-elect, Uba Sani Certificate of Return

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC on Wednesday failed to issue Certificate of Return to Kaduna State governor-elect, Uba Sani on first day, Wednesday, March 28, 2023 elections that others got theirs across the country.

CAPITAL POST reports that the Commission has commenced the issuance of Certificates of Return to governors-elect in 26 states where winners emerged after the March 18, 2023 governorship and Houses of Assembly elections.

Checks by our Correspondent revealed that Kaduna State governor-elect who represents Kaduna Central Senatorial District was spotted at Wednesday’s plenary in the Senate and even made contributions to debates.

INEC may have decided to review the election following the controversy trailing the result between the opposition Peoples Democratic Party and the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC in the governorship election.

It’s recalled that the Peoples Democratic Party was leading the governoship election, untill figures were believeably cooked in Lere Local Government Council to surpass that of PDP with 10808 margin ahead. APC’s final figure of 730002 which was generated in the INEC’s IReV different from results uploaded from polling units generated huge controversies with the Collation Officer having to delay announcement for further consultation.

At the end of the day, PDP governorship candidate, Isah Asiru’s score of 719194 according to INEC portal was rejected as the PDP insisted that it wasn’t a true reflection of the will of the people.

Amid the conflict, the Independent National Electoral Commission headquarters promised to carry out a review where necessary.

However, the outcome continue to generate protests across the Local Government Councils of Kaduna State, even as a group of women have staged a peaceful protest in Zango Kataf Local Government Area to demand a review of the election result, insisting that it was the Peoples Democratic Party that won the governorship.

The mothers turned out in their numbers for a peaceful protest march from Samaru Kataf round about to the INEC office in Zonkwa and the Local Government Secretariat, lamented the injustice by the electoral umpire to have announced and declared a winner in the election which they themselves know the result were doctored.

While at the Local Government Secretariat to register their grievances, one of the leaders of the protesters, Mrs. Dorcas David called on INEC to not only review the results as announced by the returning officer, but declare the candidate of the PDP as the winner of the elections because of the massive support he enjoyed across the state by the people through their vote.

She called on leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party in the state to follow all legal means to retrieve the stolen mandate in the interest of justice and equity.

Also observer groups who were accredited by the Independent National Electoral Commission that monitored the election in Kaduna State asked the electoral umpire to review the results without delay.

While releasing the breakdown, Observers said, APC won in ten local governments while PDP won 13 local governments.

According to them, the PDP went smoothly into it got to the point of collation that the results were not tallying with what was uploaded to the INEC IReV portal.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the National Coordinator, Centre For Strategy Ethics and Values, Romans Azubuike who spoke on behalf of the INEC accredited observer, said the INEC national headquarters should review the Kaduna gubernatorial election results.

Azubuike said “We are calling on INEC to review the election results for the gubernatorial election in Kaduna State.

“The election was transparent until at the point of coalition that things began to change. The process was transparent at the beginning but in Southern Kaduna, Birnin Gwari and some other local governments the coalition should be reviewed because they couldn’t transfer the result to the INEC portal in real time.

“So, we are using this opportunity to call on INEC to review the election results, particularly the gubernatorial election,” Azubuike added.

The breakdown of the results showed that APC won in ten local governments of Zaria, Kaduna South, Kaduna North, Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Sabon Gari, Igabi, IKara, Kauru, and Kubau while PDP won 13 local governments of Makarfi, Kachia, Chikun, Kagarko, Jaba, Jema’a, Kaura, Zango Kataf, Soba, Kudan, Chikun, Kaura, Sanga, and Lere.

The Returning Officer in the state governorship election, Prof Lawal Bilbis declared the APC candidate, Uba Sani polled 730,002 winner to defeat his rival, Isah Ashiru of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who polled 719,196.

And in a statement by INEC National Commissioner, Barr. Festus Okoye last Saturday, he pointed out Section 72(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 which provides that the Commission is mandated to issue a certificate of return within 14 days to every candidate who has been returned elected under the law.

CAPITAL POST couldn’t reach any of the INEC officials to find out why Uba Sani was not issued a Certificate of Return as Kaduna State governor-elect on Wednesday.