PDP Calls For Recount Of Vote Cast In 2019 Kaduna Governorship Election

The Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Kaduna State, Isah Ashiru, on Tuesday, filed an application seeking for a recount of the votes cast in the just concluded governorship election in the state.

The counsel to the PDP’s governorship candidate, Elisha Kurah, submitted the application to the Justice I. M Bako-led tribunal that commenced pre-hearing session in Kaduna.

The hearing was, however, adjourned to May 25 by Justice Bako to allow the Independent National Electoral Commission and the two other respondents to respond to the application filed by PDP.

Kurah while speaking with newsmen after the adjournment called on the tribunal to order INEC for the recount of the votes cast.

“We filed an application requesting to recount the votes cast during the election.”

“It is very crucial as we are alleging which is supported by the evidence we have that most of the results declared were phantom votes.”

“They were back up by votes in the ballot boxes. So we want a complete recount of the votes cast in the governorship election.”

“We are expecting that the results would show that the PDP actually won the election.”

“But votes were just inflicted randomly just to make the APC have the semblance of winning.”

Counsel to PDP, Ibrahim Bawa, while speaking with journalists stated that he also filed an application seeking that certain paragraphs of the respondents’ responses to “our application be struck out for lack of merit.”

However, the counsel to the state Governor, Nasiru El-Rufai, Abdulhakeem Mustapha in an interview said, “The petitioners of the PDP and its candidate, Isa Ashiru have four highly contentious applications.”

“And we intend to oppose the applications on their merit. And the tribunal has given us a new date for us to come and argue the applications. So, the matter is adjourned for hearing of all the pending applications.”

“We have a preliminary objection that the petition is not competent. They (PDP and Ashiru) have an application that they want the tribunal to direct that the ballots be counted one after the other in open court, and we intend to oppose those applications.”

He stated that the Electoral Act is their favour and the people of the state have spoken by voting for El-Rufai and nothing will change that.

“We are here to defend the mandate the people have given to the governor. We intend to convince the tribunal that the petition lacks merit and it should be dismissed,” Mustapha said.