Taraba: Aggrieved PDP guber aspirant file suit against a declared Candidate.

Taraba: Aggrieved PDP guber aspirant file suit against  a declared  Candidate.

Emmanuel Awari -Jalingo 

The battle for the Governorship ticket  of the Taraba State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)  is not yet over.

 One of the Governorship aspirant, Professor Jerome Nyame had file a suite at  the Federal High Court sitting in Jalingo seeking  for justice to be done.

He has insisted that the party’s candidate did not purchase expression of interest and nomination forms and not  screened by the screening committee in Bauchi State.

The Aspirant, Jerome Nyame (PLAINTIFF) suite against,The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, People's Democratic party PDP, Col. Agbu Dantala Kefas (Rtd), Hon. Kabir Bappa Jauro and Barr. Jacob Otorkpa (DEFENDANTS), seeking for justice.

In his writ of summon, the aggrieved aspirant averred that the 3rd defendant (Kefas Agbu) is actually the PDP chairman, who is not actually qualified to participate at the primary election.

Jerome Nyame (Plaintiff) said that the People's Democratic party, PDP (2nd Defendant) primary election was held on 25th May 2022 at Jolly Nyame Stadium where the results were purported declared as follows, Col. Agbu Dantala Kefas 443 votes, Chief Victor Bala Kona (stepped down), Professor Jerome Nyame 24 votes, Dr. Hilkiah Buba Mafindi 2 votes, Sen. Joel Ikenya 11 votes, Professor Joseph Albasu Kunini 31votes and Ayuba Kotolo 0 vote.

He insisted that the Taraba PDP candidate did not obtain expression of interest and nomination forms code PD003/G, (EOI)Code PD002/G, before the 14th April 2022 when same was closed.

"The Plaintiff avert that the 3rd Defendant was not nominated by at least 45 party members from at least two third of the Local Government Areas of Taraba State as required by the Constitution and Guidelines.

"The Plaintiff avert that the 3rd Defendant has always given assurance to other aspirants that as the chairman of PDP in the State, he will be fair to all and give a level playing ground to all Aspirants and that he will not take side.

He prayed the court to stop  the candidate from parading himself as the party’s guber candidate.

He vowed to go extra legitimate miles to ensure that  justice is done.

He sought “an order directing the first defendant (INEC) not to accept, recognize, or howsoever deal with the 3rd defendant (Kefas) as guber candidate of the party for the Taraba State governorship election slated for March 2023 or any other such rescheduled date.”

According to him, the PDP candidate (Kefas), presided over the party’s screening exercise as the party’s chairman before joining the list of aspirants at the eleventh hour, he beckoned at the court to direct INEC to recognize, accept and issue him (Nyame) all the benefits and entitlements as candidate of the second defendant (PDP) for Taraba State.

Recall that in April this year, the PDP chairman, when ask by Journalists on weather he has purchased intention and nomination forms to contest for the Governorship seat under the party.

"The 3rd Defendant (Agbu Dantala Kefas) spoke with Punch Newspaper, Taraba Truth and Facts among other media organizations that he did not obtain the PDP expression of interest and nomination forms before 14th April 2022.

"The 3rd Defendant (Agbu Dantala Kefas), did not participate at the Governorship screening on 26th April 2022 or any other date at all.

"No I have not purchased a form and have no intention of vying for the Governorship seat of the State.

The Plaintiff avert that the 3rd Defendant was the person that prepared the delegates list which the 2nd Defendant PDP which he later emerged as the winner thereby making the Primary election not free, fair and undemocratic as he earlier promised.

According to him, Part II, paragraph 4(I), page 8 of the PDP Electoral Guidelines for the Party primary election 2022, the 3rd Defendant Agbu Dantala Kefas is the Chairman of the Special State Congress which make him a judge in his own case.

"The Defendant by his position as the State Chairman, he is responsible for compiling the list of all Ad-hoc delegates and statutory delegates for the primary election which gave him undue advantage over all other delegates.

"On the 18th May 2022, the 3rd Defendant as State PDP Chairman, held an interactive session with all aspirants under the platform of the party, assured them that he will provide a level playing ground to all aspirants and that he will not be a contestant or Aspirant for any elective office.

According to him, there was no announcement of total of accredited delegates before voting commence, no record of same was given to our client or his agent before the commencement of the poll despite protest from agents and even 1st Defendant"s official who monitored the exercise.

"The 3rd Defendant kept all delegates at various hotels away from the venue of the primary election including Pastoral Center, mile six and no single delegate was duly accredited by 12 noon of 25th May 2022 as required by law.

According to him, the 3rd, 4th and 5th Defendants brought in delegates to start voting without accreditation late around 3:45 pm which lead the election into night time and became difficult to ascertain who is who.

The Plaintiff said that 11 votes are unaccounted in that the total votes purportedly scored by all the aspirants is 511 which is more than the purported total number of delegates that purportedly voted at the election being 522 votes.

He pointed out that even after the purported election and declaration of result, copies of the result are yet to be given to him, his agent or any of the other aspirants as mandatory required by PDP Electoral Guidelines for Primary Elections 2022 all in bid to conceal or hide the irregularities and rigged the election.

He urged the 1st Defendant (INEC) to recognize and accept and issue him all the benefits and entitlements as candidate of the Party for the Governorship election schedule for March 2023 or any reschedule date.

Copy of the summons made available to our Correspondent, also gathered that more aspirants have also concluded plans to approach the court seeking for  justice on the matter.