Hon. Bashir Adamu, also known as Matawallen Kazaure, a governorship hopeful under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Jigawa State, has officially submitted a complaint to the party’s State Election Appeal Committee. He is calling for a thorough review of the just-concluded governorship primary election.
In the petition, which he personally signed and distributed to the press, Adamu outlined numerous allegations of irregularities, breaches of party protocols, and interference by party executives. He specifically accused the chairman of the primary election committee of abandoning impartiality and following directives from the State Executive Committee, violating established party rules.
According to the aspirant, the chairman ultimately declared a candidate under duress. Adamu further claimed that the State Executive Committee showed bias and actively worked to ensure the nomination of Sabo Nagudu as the party’s flagbearer.
Expressing his disappointment, Adamu noted that he played a pivotal role in building the ADC’s structure across all 27 local government areas in Jigawa. He alleged that state and local party officials instead mobilized support for his opponent and were responsible for distributing election materials, creating opportunities for manipulation.
The petition also pointed to deliberate delays in delivering election materials, especially in the North-West Senatorial District. These delays, he said, caused materials to arrive late at night after many party members had waited hours for accreditation, forcing them to leave before voting could begin.
Adamu further accused political thugs loyal to his rival of capitalizing on the chaos to seize election materials and fabricate results in favor of their preferred candidate. He highlighted incidents of violence, intimidation, and thuggery across several areas, which disrupted the exercise. The committee chairman reportedly canceled results in four local government areas due to these disturbances.
Arguing that the disruptions made the process incomplete, Adamu condemned the alleged intimidation of party members trying to exercise their democratic rights. He also questioned the legitimacy of results announced by the State Executive Committee, asserting that only the properly constituted Primary Election Committee had the authority to declare outcomes.
Consequently, he urged the Appeal Committee to invalidate the primary and order a fresh election, citing violations of ADC guidelines and the Electoral Act. Despite his grievances, Adamu reaffirmed his loyalty to the ADC and expressed confidence that the party would fairly address his concerns.