Hammed Shittu in Ilorin
House of Assembly candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 18 governorship and House of Assembly elections from Kwara Central senatorial district in Kwara state yesterday vowed to challenge their defeat in court so as to reclaim their mandate.
The aggrieved PDP candidates include: Hon. Abdullahi Mogaji (Owode/Onire constituency), Hon. Abubakar Sodiq Wankasi(Ilorin Central constituency), Hon. Hassan Taiye Alaya(Ilorin South constituency), Hon. Isiaka Labaika(Afon constituency), Hon. Isiaka Saka Saadu(Ilorin North West constituency) and Hon. Mohammed Haruna Maigidansanma(Ilorin East constituency).
The candidates, however, said that the challenge of the outcome of the election became imperative in view of the alleged rigging, intimidation, harassment and shenanigans put up by the ruling All Progressives Congress(APC) during the poll.
During the poll, all the APC candidates for the Kwara Central senatorial were elected into the state House of Assembly.
Addressing journalists in Ilorin on the outcome of the elections, the spokesperson of the candidates, Hon. Isiaka Saka Saadu said: “We were under studying the outcome of results of the election from each polling unit across wards and various constituents accordingly, with a view to reclaim our “stolen” mandate.
“Our stand is to genuinely get our mandate as laid down by the electoral guidelines as our priority at the moment.
“We will not be silence to watch our mandate stolen overnight because the will of the people must prevail.”
He added: “We kindly seek patience and decorum from our aggrieved party members and the good people of Kwara State at large as we question the process of the last elections results at the appropriate court of law in order to retrieve our mandates
“We, the candidates of the PDP from Kwara Central Senatorial District with deep sense of humility want to acknowledge the commitment and support enjoyed from our teeming youths and stakeholders during the recently concluded gubernatorial and State Assembly elections in Kwara State.
“Your resilience and resistance to intimidation, harassment and shenanigans put up by the ruling party was indeed notable and well appreciated.
“Therefore, we are appealing for calmness with all assurances to forge ahead in getting our mandate in sha Allahu, having in the process of under studying the outcome of results from each Polling Units across Wards and various constituents accordingly.
“Hence our stand to genuinely get our mandate as laid down by the electoral guidelines as our priority at the moment. We will not be silenced to watch our mandate stolen overnight because the will of the people must prevail.
“We kindly seek patience and decorum from our aggrieved party members and the good people of Kwara state at large as we question the process of the last Elections results.
“Once again, our sincere appreciation goes to all the members of our great party (PDP) and by extension with due recognition to our indefatigable leader and former President of the 8th Senate, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, for his magnanimity and unflinching support to us, our party and the good people of Kwara State.”
