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- ADSIEC chairman dismisses complaints over missing officials as voters, opposition figures allege elections failed to hold in several communities
By Billy Graham Abel, Yola
The Adamawa State Independent Electoral Commission (ADSIEC) has declared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of all the 21 chairmanship seats and 226 councillorship positions contested in the state’s local government elections.
Announcing the final results on Monday in Yola, ADSIEC Chairman, Mr. Mohammed Umar, said the PDP emerged victorious in all the local government chairmanship contests as well as all councilorship elections conducted across the state’s 226 wards.
The outcome comes amid a shifting political landscape in Adamawa State following Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri’s recent defection to the APC alongside many of his political allies. The PDP’s clean sweep despite the governor’s departure has already sparked discussions among political observers and stakeholders.
According to him, the results were confirmed following the final collation of votes from the 21 local government areas.
“Following the final collation of results, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has won all the 21 chairmanship seats contested in the state. The party also won all the 226 councillorship seats across the wards, while the election was conducted peacefully,” Umar said.
He explained that although 11 political parties initially indicated interest in participating in the exercise, only four parties eventually took part in the elections.
The participating parties, according to him, were the PDP, All Progressives Congress (APC), Social Democratic Party (SDP), and African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The ADSIEC chairman congratulated the winners and urged them to carry all stakeholders along in governance.
“Politics is a game where someone must win. We thank the citizens of Adamawa State for coming out to exercise their franchise,” he stated.
However, Umar declined to provide details of the total number of registered voters, accredited voters, voter turnout, or total votes cast during the election.
Asked to provide such statistics, he maintained that the results had already been announced at the local government level by returning officers.
The declaration was, however, overshadowed by the chairman’s dismissive response to concerns raised by journalists over widespread reports that election officials and materials failed to reach several polling units across the state.
When asked about allegations that elections did not take place in multiple communities, Umar distanced himself from responsibility for events at polling units.
“I am just learning about that now. Maybe you should go back to the electoral officers and ask them. You were at our stores and saw the distribution of materials. I cannot go to the polling units; you can write it like that. What will it change?” he said.
The remarks drew criticism from some residents and political stakeholders, who argued that the commission owed the public explanations regarding complaints of voter disenfranchisement.
Reports of Missing Electoral Officials
Despite ADSIEC’s declaration that the election was conducted peacefully, observations by Daily Sun correspondents and complaints from residents and political stakeholders painted a different picture in several parts of the state.
During visits to polling centres in Yola North Local Government Area on election day, correspondents observed the absence of electoral officials and election materials at several polling units.
At Government Day Secondary School, Dundere, in Namtari Ward, no election officials or voting materials were sighted at 9:00 a.m., 12 noon and 2:00 p.m. The only personnel present were operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) deployed on election duty.
A similar situation was observed at Sangere Bode Primary School, also in Namtari Ward, where police and NDLEA officers were present but electoral officials and voting materials were absent throughout the day.
At Hayin Gada in the Vunoklang area, security personnel were also seen at designated polling locations without any election officials or election materials.
Residents Allege Disenfranchisement
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Some residents who spoke to Daily Sun alleged that many voters were unable to cast their ballots due to inadequate election materials and the absence of electoral officials.
One resident, Abdullahi, claimed that electoral officials only appeared in a few polling units within his area.
“Around our area where there are several polling units, election officials appeared in only two units. In an area where there should have been about 300 voters, they came with only 100 ballot papers. The electorate became frustrated and left. This is not an election; it is a scam,” he alleged.
Similar Complaints Across LGAs
In Demsa Local Government Area, residents reported that elections did not take place in Bangun Unit, Mbula Ward, Borong Ward, Dilli Ward and Gwamba Ward due to the absence of election officials and materials.
Residents of Kwambla Ward in Hong Local Government Area said they waited from 8:00 a.m. until about 3:00 p.m. without seeing any electoral officials or voting materials.
In Numan Local Government Area, residents reportedly staged protests over the alleged absence of election materials and officials.
In Fufore Local Government Area, some voters alleged that election materials arrived late and were insufficient for the number of registered voters.
ADC Chieftain Questions Electoral Process
Reacting to the exercise, the Adamawa State Treasurer of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and founder of the ADC Women Network, Hon. Hyellagiziya Naiwa Fakuta, said her party participated in the election but observed widespread irregularities.
“There were no elections in most polling units. Imagine a ward with ten polling units and the electoral body only appeared in two, arriving several hours late and with inadequate materials. That was the kind of election we witnessed,” she said.
Fakuta expressed concern about the implications of such experiences for future discussions on state policing.
“If this is how independent elections are conducted, what justification do we have for demanding state police? It could eventually become an instrument for advancing personal interests rather than serving the public good,” she added.
Opposition Figures Condemn Exercise
Also reacting, Hon. Joseph Enan Maigari, Director of Mobilisation of the Obidient Movement – North East, described the exercise as a “fraud” and accused opposition parties of remaining silent in the face of alleged electoral malpractice.
“Adamawa State did not hold an election last Saturday; it staged a performance. In most places there were security personnel but no election officials. You cannot call that an election,” he said.
Maigari alleged that elections were not conducted in several locations, including parts of Demsa, Numan, Namtari Ward and Hayin Gada, and called on electoral authorities, civil society groups and the media to investigate the conduct of the polls.
NDC Chairman Says He Could Not Vote
The State Chairman of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Ibrahim Bebeto, told Daily Sun that he was unable to cast his vote at his polling unit in Kwambla Jigajiga Unit 1, Bangshika Ward of Hong Local Government Area.
“I waited until about 3 p.m. but no electoral officer arrived. I eventually returned to Yola without voting. As far as I am concerned, there was no voting at my polling unit,” he said.
Bebeto, however, noted that the NDC did not participate in the election because the party was registered after preparations for the local government polls had already commenced.
While ADSIEC has declared the elections successful and announced a clean sweep for the PDP, reports from several communities and reactions from political stakeholders have continued to generate debate over the conduct, reach and credibility of the exercise across parts of Adamawa State.
