From Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo

The Taraba State Publicity Secretary of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Hon Andeta’rang Iramae, has expressed concern over the delay in declaring Lt Col Agbu Kefas (retd) winner of the state governorship election by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Speaking to reporters in Jalingo, Andeta’rang and other PDP supporters who besieged the INEC office on Monday alleged that INEC State Collation/Returning Officer and Resident Electoral Commission (REC) have no reason to delay the announcement of Col Agbu Kefas as the winner of the governorship election having won a landslide, scoring the highest number of the total votes cast.

“Tempering with results at this stage is dangerous. The outcome has been formally collated and received at the INEC Headquarters in Taraba.

“We are here to defend our vote so INEC should not delay to declare the result because PDP candidate, Col Agbu Kefas won the election with 255,317 votes,” Andeta’rang alleged.

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The PDP supporters added that the INEC State Returning Officer should announce the result as collated and any party not satisfied with it should go to the Election Petition Tribunal and challenge the result as the INEC National Chairman, Yakubu Mahmood did during the collation of the Presidential Election on February 25.

The PDP supporters accused the Residence Commissioner REC Alh Umar Muktar Gajiram and the INEC State Collation/Returning Officer Prof Muhammed Ahmad Abdulaziz for taking sides with Prof Sani Yahaha of the NNPP and attempting interference in the final announcement of the Taraba State governorship result won by Col Agbu Kefas of the PDP, warning that any attempt to disrupt the announcement of the result may lead to anarchy.

Another PDP supporter, Hon Eric UJ Yohana, insisted that Agbu Kefas won the election in Taraba with wide margins defeating the NNPP with a 53,233 margin, leaving APC trailing behind with a margin of 111,851

“PDP lost the election to NNPP and APC in some local governments and we did not protest. Even in places like Ibi, Ussa, Gassol, we did not raise eyebrows and we are not bothered because we won the governorship election and any attempt to rig will be suicidal.

“So why is INEC delaying announcing our victory? We are not going anywhere, we will stay here till PDP is declared winner, as their name implies, we expect INEC to have their Independent mind and be neutral.”