All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate at the just concluded Niger East Senatorial by-election, Barrister David Umaru said Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has stolen his mandate, insisting that the outcome of the polls as announced by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was unacceptable.
The electoral body had on Sunday declared Dr. Shem Zagbayi Nuhu as the winner of the by-election, having polled 92,056 votes as against Umaru's 87,405 votes.
Umaru who spoke for the first time on the election in Minna yesterday at a press conference, said "how come they are not celebrating if truly they (PDP) won. They cannot celebrate because the mandate is not theirs".
He insisted that the victory claimed by the ruling party was a product of an electoral process fraught with serious malpractices perpetrated by the PDP and government officials in connivance with INEC and security agents during the by-election and the supplementary.
He alleged that top government officials were stationed at various polling units with hi-lux trucks loaded with cash and wrappers which were openly used to induce and buy votes while security agents intimidated voters.
According to him, "in some instances a voter's vote was purchased for #30,000, while district heads, village and ward heads were intimidated and ordered to ensure victory for PDP at their places of influence or have their appointments terminated.
"PDP is afraid of the will of the people that gave us their mandate but they have used their antics to subvert and steal the will of the people and I know God will punish them for what they have done.
"Despite the intimidation, buying of votes and snatching of ballot boxes, the people of the zone and the state in general have spoken. PDP cannot stop the force of wind of change that is blowing across the state, we have done well and we have won the election even if PDP stole it away from us", he said.
Umaru saluted the courage and resilient of the electorate who came out to vote for him in the rains despite intimidation and harassment, he urged them to continue to be firm in their determination to entrench true democracy in the state.
He told his teeming supporters that the antics of the PDP leadership to rig him out of elective contests was fool hardy insisting that such thoughts were mere illusions, stressing that his political torchlight was shining brighter each time PDP stole the peoples mandate away from him adding that he was ready to do the will of the people in 2015.
Asked if he will challenge the election verdict in court, Umaru said his party was studying the result and would soon come out with a position and on the next line of action.
Meanwhile Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Dr. Emmanuel Onucheyo yesterday presented certificate of return to the Senator-elect, Dr. Shem Zagbayi Nuhu of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The REC said the by-election as a wake up call for for the electoral body and all political parties for the 2015 general elections.
The Senator-elect also call on all those that contest with him to join hands with him to take the zone to the next level.
Nuhu promised to ensure the take off of the Hydro-electric Power Producing Area Development Commission.
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