The Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate (PDP) for the Kwara Central Senatorial District election in 2015, Alhaji Abdurahman Abdulrazaq, has sued the Independent National Electoral Commission for alleged manipulation of results in the election which was won by his opponent of the All Progressives Congress, Dr. Bukola Saraki.
Saraki, after winning the general election, also contested and won the position of the Senate President.
Abdulrazaq, on Monday, filed a suit before the Federal High Court in Abuja seeking an order of mandamus compelling INEC to prosecute an agent to Saraki during the collation of the results of the 2015 election, Alhaji Ladi Hassan, and the collating/returning officer, Mrs. Mulkah Ahmed.
The plaintiff alleged in his suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/92/2018, that Saraki was declared the winner of the election on March 28, 2015, when the results were only allegedly collated by just Ahmed and Hassan (Saraki’s agent) at the district level on March 29, 2015.
He attached with his suit two sets of documents, with one set marked Exhibit 1, said to be showing that “the summaries of results from wards and Local Government Areas that make up the senatorial district were finally compiled on March 29, 2015 as the date on each of these forms read the same collation date.”
The second document attached to the suit as Exhibit 2 was said to be INEC Form EC 8E(1) “which is the Declaration of Results of Election compiled by Dr. (Mrs.) Mulkah A. Ahmed (the returning officer) and Ladi Hassan, agent to Dr. Bukola Saraki.”
Abdulrazaq alleged in his suit that “only two of them (Ahmed and Hassan) signed the form and March 28, was appended on the face of the form.”
An affidavit deposed to by the plaintiff’s aide, Alhaji Adebayo Oloyin, stated in part, “That it is a common sense that collation date will always precede declaration date as the collation dictates declaration of results.”
The deponent explained that the “offence committed” by the persons named cost his boss the merit of his petition at the Election Petitions Tribunal challenging Saraki’s election.
“That inconsistencies of the Exhibits1 and 2 led to the loss of the applicant’s petition against Dr. Bukola Saraki as the panel of the tribunal held that his petition was a day late because tribunal adopted March 28, 2015 which was a day before collation as the declaration of result day,” the supporting affidavit stated in part.
It was stated in the affidavit that Abdulrazaq had through Sundry Law Office, submitted a petition to INEC on September 18, 2015.
It stated that after waiting for a period and there was “no sign or move from the respondent (INEC) showing her intention to prosecute this offence,” the plaintiff authorised a similar petition dated December 22, 2015 to be written to the Office of Attorney General of the Federation.
It stated that the AGF office replied his petition through a letter dated February 4, 2016 and signed by the then Director of Public Prosecutions, Mr. Mohammed Diri.
It stated that the AGF office, in their letter, “redirected” the plaintiff to INEC.
The plaintiff was said to have following the letter from the AGF office written another petition to INEC requesting that the persons involved be prosecuted.
“That a letter of reminder dated November 16, 2017 was further written to the respondent (INEC) and up till now, no step whatsoever has been taken,” the affidavit added.
The case has not been assigned to a judge.
