In Women’s Month, Nasarawa Women March for Freedom 

Igbawase Ukumba writes whilst the world commemorated Women’s Month in March, hundreds of women staged a seven-day march in major towns across Nasarawa State to peacefully protest the results of the recently held governorship election in the state

Less than 24 hours after the Returning Officer for the Nasarawa State Governorship Election, Professor Tanko Ishaya, returned the incumbent Governor Abdullahi Sule, than hundreds of women across the state staged a peaceful protest, demanding for justice on the declaration of the governor as winner of the March 18, 2013 Gubernatorial election.

The women, who came out in their numbers and dressed in black attires, while some preferred nudity, were seen carrying placards with various inscriptions such as: “INEC Should Give Us Back Our Mandate.” “Let Our Votes Count. Ombugadu Won.” “We Say No To Election Manipulation; Ombugadu Won.” Among many other inscriptions.

Leader of the women group, Mrs. Stella Oboshi, while speaking on behalf of the other women during the peaceful protest at the Lafia office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said the purpose of the protest was to channel their grievances over the election results declared by Prof. Tanko Ishaya, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos.

According to Mrs. Oboshi, “INEC should know that we are suffering in this country, especially in Nasarawa State. We are not here on political ground, but we want justice to prevail. Leadership comes from God. He gives to a person at a time he wishes. But some people don’t want to wait on God, they want to do otherwise.”

She further alleged that INEC had gone ahead to announce a winner of the state governorship election, despite that there was bone of contention in the results that emanated from Gayam and Ciroma electoral wards of Lafia Local Government Area of the state.

“The governorship election and that of the state House of Assembly were conducted same day, same time and with same election materials. But the governorship election was announced; and that of the House of Assembly has not been announced up till this moment, because it was declared inconclusive.

“If Gayam and Ciroma electoral wards results from Lafia LGA were included in the results that INEC announced for the governorship election, but the Assembly elections were inconclusive in the same electoral wards, then INEC should also declare the governorship election inconclusive so that we can start afresh,” she insisted.

In Akwanga, the Local Goverment of the state governor, Abdullahi Sule, hundreds of women also thronged out and protested the outcome of the governorship election.

In the same vein, women in Karu, The gateway to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), took over the federal highways causing gridlock to motorists plying the route. The women were seen nude marching along the highways.

Meantime, checks by THISDAY learnt that on March 20, 2023, the INEC declared Governor Abdullahi Sule as winner of the March 18 governorship election in Nasarawa State. This was even as the incumbent governor and his deputy, Emmanuel Akabe, had both lost their Akwanga and Doma Local Government Areas respectively to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

However, Governor Sule won in seven of the 13 Local Government Areas; scoring a total of 347,209 votes. Whereas, his closest rival, Dr. David Ombugadu of the PDP, scored 283,016 votes during the state gubernatorial poll. The winning margin between Abdullahi Sule of the APC and David Ombugadu of the PDP was 33,608 votes.

Consequently, the incumbent Governor Sule was declared re-elected by the State Returning Officer and Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, Professor Tanko Ishaya.

Sule won in Keana, Awe, Lafia, Wamba, Keffi, Nasarawa and Toto Local Government Areas in the results declared by the INEC Returning Officer. His closest competitor, Dr. David Ombugadu of the PDP won in six Local Government Areas of Akwanga, Doma, Obi, Nasarawa Eggon, Kokona and Karu.

 But, the hundreds of women went on wild protest across the state accusing the Returning Officer, Prof. Tanko Ishaya, of shortchanging the real winner.

Consequently, the peaceful protest spread to Akwanga and Karu municipal areas where nude aged women led the protest match. They stormed the streets of Akwanga, headquarters of Governor Abdullahi Sule’s council area, protesting the outcome of the state governorship poll.

In the same vein, the women in Karu, the gateway to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), took over the federal highways causing gridlock to motorists. The aged women were seen partly nude marching along highway. 

In Karu, a group – Ombugadu Support Coalition commenced a seven-day peaceful protest. The protesters, who went round New Nyanya axis of Karu metropolis community, had placards with various inscriptions such as: “We Say No to Election Manipulation”. “INEC Has Compromised The Electoral Process. Restore Our Democracy.” “Save our democracy in Nasarawa State.” among others.

Ban by Police

Barely few hours after the Karu Ombugadu Support Coalition declared a seven-day peaceful protests against the outcome of the Governorship election in the state, that authorities of the Nasarawa State Police Command placed ban on all forms of protest in the state.

The police command, however, justified that it has taken the ban decision in order to prevent breakdown of law and order and as well to sustain the peace currently being enjoyed in the state; as it said the intelligent report on security could no longer sustain any form of protest in the state.

The Nasarawa State Commissioner of Police, Maiyaki Baba, announced the ban in a statement issued by the state Police Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Ramhan Nansel. 

“The Nasarawa State Police Command wishes to inform the general public that all forms of protest have been banned throughout the state. Therefore, all proposed protests under any guise are hereby prohibited. The police command took this decision in order to prevent the breakdown of law and order and to sustain the peace currently being enjoyed in the state; as the intelligent report on security can no longer sustain any form of protest in the state,” the statement said.

Consequently, parents and guardians were advised by the Police to ensure that their children and wards did not violate the order, as anyone caught shall be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.

Defiance

However, hundreds of same aged women from across the 13 Local Government Areas of the state defied the police order banning protest of all forms and staged a peaceful protest again in Lafia, the state capital. They were insisting on review of the recently conducted governorship election in the state.

THISDAY monitored the peaceful protest and observed that the women were partly nude again, as they sang emotional songs in Hausa language and carried with them leaves while protesting.

In a chat with THISDAY during the protest which was held at the Nasarawa PDP secretariat in Lafia, the Women Leader, Mrs. Stella Oboshi, claimed that the PDP’s governorship candidate, David Ombugadu, won the state governorship poll. She insisted that it wasn’t the incumbent Governor Abdullahi Sule, as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

While calling on INEC to do the needful by reviewing the election results and announce the actual winner of the election, she stated that the aggrieved women will continue to peacefully demonstrate if their demands were not met.

Oboshi said: “The reason of our being here is that we are protesting the election that was rigged. They rigged us in the election, and as women in the state, we are not happy with what has happened in Nasarawa State. Peaceful demonstration in politics is allowed because there is freedom of speech. As you can see, since Tuesday when we started protesting, we have not harmed, insulted or destroyed anyone or property.”

“Our demand is that INEC should review the results collated from across the state and announce the actual winner of the governorship election,” she concluded.

Contrary Opinion

Nevertheless, a League of Concerned Professionals in Plateau State has exonerated the Returning Officer for the 2023 general elections in Nasarawa State, Prof. Ishaya Tanko, of all allegations leveled against him in Nasarawa State.

At a press briefing in Jos, the Plateau State capital, the league under the leadership of Barr. Chesil Drenkat, described the allegations as baseless, noting that Prof. Tanko is a man of integrity, patriotic, forthright, God fearing and a perfect gentleman that cannot be bought to rig election as claimed in some quarters.

The group, therefore, explained that the role played by the Professor as a Returning Officer was to await the final result collated and certified at Unit Level in form EC8a, at Ward Level in form EC8b, at L.G.A Level in form EC8c, before finally getting to him for final collation in form EC8d.

This was even as the professionals maintained that they were mindful of the fact that losers always have inflammable tendencies of misdirecting reason(s) for their losses and more often transfer of their aggression.

Hitherto, they stated categorically that blaming Prof. Ishaya over such unfounded and unsubstantiated claims of inducement and corrupt practices on the outcome of the Nassarawa State Gubernatorial Election was one of such misguided, misdirected claims by very bad losers in an election that was particularly adjudged to be very competitive.

Nevertheless, the professionals advised the aggrieved persons to find areas of electoral infractions/fraud, none conformity to the Electoral Act, 2022/Guidelines that will substantiate and proof their claims at Election Petition Tribunals, instead of seeking to find fault in the role assigned to Prof. Tanko Ishaya as the Nasarawa State Returning Officer.

“We challenge any person, party or candidate to fault the role played by Prof. Tanko in this regard. In all the foregoing, the political parties had their agents who were bound to be vigilant and alive to their responsibilities at all stages of the collations,” the group maintained.

Quote

INEC should know that we are suffering in this country, especially in Nasarawa State. We are not here on political ground, but we want justice to prevail. Leadership comes from God. He gives to a person at a time he wishes. But some people don’t want to wait on God, they want to do otherwise