Aisha Alhassan: This is daylight robbery

Aisha Alhassan, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Taraba state governorship election, has rejected the result of the poll announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday.

Addresing a press conference in Jalingo shortly after the announcement of the result, Alhassan described the entire elections process as a “daylight robbery’’ and said the party would challenge the results at the election petition tribunal.

“The combined governorship elections in Taraba were characterised by violence, massive rigging, ballot snatching and abuse of the card readers in substantial parts of the state by the PDP and their allies,” she said.

She contended that results ascribed to Wukari, Donga, Takum, Sardauna, Zing, Yorro, Kurmi and some parts of Ussa, Karim-Lamido, Bali, Ardo-Kola and Lau local government areas were not acceptable, as they did not reflect the true results of the election in Taraba.

Alhassan said all the complaints on the irregularities and abuse of the election guidelines were promptly reported to INEC, but no action was taken.

While declared the result in Jalingo on Sunday, Jyari Mohammed, the INEC returning officer for Taraba said Ishaku scored 369,318 votes to emerge victorious.

He said Alhassan came second with 275,984 votes, while David Kente of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) polled 29, 966 votes.