Dr. Umar Ardo, the candidate for governor of Adamawa State for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the election that was just recently concluded, has claimed that a broadcast that President Muhammadu Buhari made in which he solicited support for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Aishatu Dahiru Ahme Binani, had a negative impact on the election.
During an interview, Ardo asserted that the broadcast, which was made in Hausa language, influenced some federal government agencies in the state to work for the APC candidate.
He claims that the broadcast had an effect on at least some of the country’s security agencies, as well as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and even broadcast stations.
Read Also: Tinubu most influential person in the world – Adamu Garba declares as president-elect returns to Nigeria
He contended that the election, which was ultimately decided by a second round of voting, was not in any way free and fair. Specifically, he asserted that the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had tainted the vote by engaging in vote buying and other forms of intimidation.
He made the following statement: “The election was not fair in the sense that, first and foremost the APC candidate, we saw the President, you know Buhari made a national broadcast in Hausa asking the people of Adamawa to go and vote for Binani and that he had worked with Binani in PTF (defunct Petroleum Trust Fund) and Binani was good and this and that, I have no problem with that.”
“But the fallout of that presidential broadcast is what I had a problem with because from the moment the President made that broadcast, the entire agencies and federal agencies in Adamawa State tilted towards her.
I am referring to the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Nigerian Police, the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Department of State Security, and the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission.
Read Also: FG acts to free Nigerian students who are stranded in Sudan
It was reported that the election for the governorship was completed on Tuesday of the week prior as INEC declared the incumbent governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, the winner of the election. This occurred despite the controversies that followed the election.
