Former House of Representatives member Isah Ashiru has been nominated as the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Kaduna State, but one of the leading contenders has rejected the outcome.
Mr Ashiru polled 86,113 votes in the primary conducted across the state.
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However, a former Kaduna State Commissioner for Education, who came second with 29,580 votes, dismissed the result as “concocted” and alleged widespread manipulation during the exercise.
Other aspirants included the immediate past Commissioner for Education under Governor Uba Sani, Mohammed Bello, who polled 13,559 votes; Ahmed Tijjani, who secured 13,550 votes; and Shuaibu Mikati, who got 10,819 votes.
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Sani rejects outcome
In a four-minute video circulated on social media late Wednesday, Mr Sani rejected the declared results, insisting that the process was manipulated in favour of Mr Ashiru.
“We all know there was no election in many places, and some results were not even ready when the announcement was made,” he said.
The former commissioner specifically mentioned Birnin Gwari, Giwa, Kaduna North, and Kauru local government areas as places where results were allegedly still pending before the declaration was made.
“We learnt that a committee has been set up to review the results, harmonise the process and listen to our complaints,” he added.
Despite his objections, Mr Sani urged his supporters to remain calm and avoid actions that could disrupt peace.
“We are calling on our supporters to remain calm and allow peace to prevail. If justice is not done, we will communicate our next move,” he said.
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The controversy comes amid complaints by some House of Representatives aspirants of irregularities in the party’s primaries.
Ashiru’s political strength
Ashiru, who represented Makarfi/Kudan Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, was the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in both the 2019 and 2023 elections.
In 2019, he lost to former Governor Nasir El-Rufai, while in 2023, he finished second behind Governor Uba Sani, polling more than 719,000 votes in a fiercely contested election.
The performance further boosted his profile among opposition supporters, many of whom expect him to pose the strongest challenge to the ruling APC in 2027.
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