The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has initiated legal proceedings to challenge what they claim to be the “stolen mandate” in the House of Representatives election for the Jalingo/Yoro/Zing federal constituency in Taraba State.
In the supplementary election held on February 14, 2024, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Sadiq Abbas, the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), as the winner. Innocent Jabayang, the SDP candidate, was declared the second runner-up with a narrow margin.
According to the returning officer for the election, Professor Olarenwaju Oladipo of the Federal University Wukari, Hon. Sadiq Abbas of the PDP secured 19,681 votes, while Hon. Innocent Jabayang of the SDP garnered 16,379 votes. The difference between the two candidates, according to INEC, was 3,302 votes.
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In response to the declaration, Hon. Jabayang stated to journalists in Jalingo, the capital of Taraba State, that he has already initiated legal action to reclaim what he alleges was his stolen mandate. He accused INEC and the PDP of colluding to rig the election
Jabayang asserted that he possesses evidence to demonstrate that his mandate was unlawfully taken from him and vowed to pursue the legal process to its conclusion to obtain justice.
Jabayang further claimed that there were various irregularities orchestrated by INEC staff to favor the PDP candidate, including the cancellation of votes in polling units where he purportedly won and instances of over-voting against the Biometric Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS) accreditations to benefit the PDP candidate. He affirmed his readiness to defend the mandate bestowed upon him by the voters.
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