ADC Jigawa Primary Petition Irregularities as Bashir Adamu challenges governorship primary over alleged flaws and demands fresh poll

A governorship aspirant of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Hon. Bashir Adamu, also known as Matawallen Kazaure, on Wednesday submitted a formal petition to the party’s State Election Appeal Committee in Jigawa State, seeking a review of the recently concluded governorship primary election over alleged irregularities and breaches of party guidelines.

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ADC Jigawa Primary Petition Irregularities centres on allegations of bias, procedural violations and manipulation of the electoral process, which Bashir Adamu claims undermined the credibility of the party’s internal democratic exercise.

In a petition personally signed by him and obtained by journalists, Bashir Adamu alleged that the primary election was compromised by widespread irregularities and undue influence allegedly exerted by officials of the party.

He accused the chairman of the primary election committee of abandoning neutrality and acting under the direction of the State Executive Committee, in violation of established party rules.

Bashir Adamu further alleged that the chairman eventually announced the party’s governorship candidate under pressure, raising questions about the integrity of the process.

The former federal lawmaker also claimed that the State Executive Committee worked to favour another aspirant, Sabo Nagudu, allegedly undermining fair competition within the party.

He argued that despite his role in strengthening the ADC structure across all 27 local government areas of Jigawa State, party officials were allegedly used to mobilise support for his opponent, creating what he described as room for manipulation.

The petition also detailed allegations of delayed distribution of election materials, particularly in the North-West Senatorial District, which he said disrupted accreditation and disenfranchised participants who waited for hours.

According to him, the delays forced many eligible voters to leave before voting commenced, significantly affecting turnout and credibility.

Bashir Adamu further alleged that political thugs loyal to his rival disrupted the exercise by seizing election materials and fabricating results in some locations.

He also cited incidents of violence and intimidation across several areas, noting that the electoral committee was compelled to cancel the election in four local government areas due to security concerns.

He described the situation as deeply concerning and argued that the disruptions rendered the exercise inconclusive, calling for stronger safeguards to protect internal party democracy.

The aspirant questioned the validity of the results announced by the State Executive Committee, insisting that only the duly constituted Primary Election Committee had the authority to declare the outcome.

Consequently, he urged the Appeal Committee to nullify the primary election and order a fresh poll, arguing that the process violated both ADC guidelines and provisions of the Electoral Act.

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Despite the dispute, Bashir Adamu reaffirmed his loyalty to the ADC, expressing confidence that the party would fairly consider his petition and act in the interest of justice and transparency.