When on February 5th, 2012, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), announced Vice Admiral Murtala Nyako as winner of the February 4th governorship election in the state, many could not believe their ears and eyes as it turned out to be contrary to what they thought would be the case.

In Yola, the Adamawa capital, the shock of the announcement threw the citizens into what could aptly be described as a period of mourning because while their were no jubilations or celebrations from the people, except for a few in the Nyako Campaign team, one could hear some locals lamenting that they would experience another four years or so of the re_elected administration.

Shortly after the result was announced and tension was high among many electorates who felt that the figures INEC reeled out were not the true reflection of what happened, newshounds trooped to the home of the CPC candidate, General Buba Marwa, widely believed to have performed far better than what was announced, to find out his next line of action.

It was emerged that many electorates, particularly those from the grassroots, were set to go on rampage that would have resulted to mayhem and/or destruction of property because many alleged that had been shortchanged in the announcement of the result.

But a bewildered Marwa who had thought he was primed to win the election before funny things started happening told the media that he rejected the results as announced by INEC, adding that “it is general knowledge both by the electorate and all Adamawa indigenes that he (Marwa) won the election.”

According to Marwa, “The people of Adamawa state voted for CPC and General Marwa. What happened was that at the collation centers’, funny things happened. There were cases of ballot stuffing, ballot snatching and under supply of materials which were later allocated.”

“My message to the good people of our state is to remain calm, do not take laws into your hands, and note that the glorious dawn will surely come. Those programmes I have done in other places, which the people of Adamawa state yearn for, at God’s time, it will still happen.

“I wish to state however that I would not go to court to challenge the results as announced. I leave the matter to God the almighty and the people of Adamawa state to judge.

Nyako and Marwa

“We are all Christians or Moslems and we all profess that God gives power to whomever he wishes to and I am one who believes that God’s time is the best. But we must be quite clear about one thing, that though no system is perfect, I still stand by my statement rejecting the result”.

Meanwhile, as at 10 pm on the night of February 4, 2012, when early results started rolling in from CPC agents in some local government areas and wards, early pointers showed the results running neck to neck between the CPC, PDP and CPC.

In some of the results, Larmude LGA, Dubwangun ward, Bafyau unit 1-ACN got 35votes, PDP got 42, CPC got 30. At Kofar-Jauro unit 2- CAN got 28, PDP got 44, CPC got 60.

At Ganye LGA, Ganye Ward 1: unit 003_ACN got 138, CPC got 170, and PDP got 75. In Unit 004_ CAN got 65, CPC got 93, PDP got 58. At Unit 15_ ACN got 65, CPC got 190, and PDP got 93 votes.

In MAYO/BELWA LGA, Gangfada ward 003: ACN got 75, CPC got 50, and PDP got 83 votes. At Tola Ward 11: ACN got 146, CPC got 303, and PDP got 513votes.

For FUFORE LGA, Farang Ward: ACN got 50 votes, CPC got 428, and PDP got 488. SONG LGA, Kilange Funa ward 04: ACN 83, CPC 35, PDP 67. Kilange Hirna ward: ACN 469, CPC 362, PDP 809.

At MICHIKA LGA, Bazza Margi ward 02: ACN 329 votes, CPC 351 votes, PDP 284 votes. Sukumu/Tillijo ward 13: CAN got 346 votes, CPC got 741 votes, PDP got 365 votes.

At YOLA NORTH LGA , Yelwa Ward 11-CAN got 65 votes, CPC got 61, and PDP got 12 votes. Unit 008: ACN got 15 votes, CPC recorded 80 votes and PDP 106 votes.

At this juncture, the question that bothered the minds of many was at what point did it all get into a somersault and the tide dramatically change?

Some of the reasons are as follows, “Vote Rigging; A former House of representatives member of the PDP representing Ganye/Fufore Constituency, Martins Babale was caught in Ganye ward 002 with 6 ballot boxes inside his house ostensibly to be stuffed with voters’ cards and handed over to INEC.

At Mayo/Farang ward 1 and Sebore Ahmadu ward 1 in Mayo Belwa LGA, observers witnessed some persons alleged to be agents, calling out returning officers from the polling units into a house under Police protection where they were allegedly given substantial amount of money to influence the outcome of the votes cast. There were also incidents of a party’s agents seen distributing money to voters publicly without security agents doing anything to stop such electoral malpractices.

At Michika, the home town of the CPC candidate, General Buba Marwa, election observers reported that in Thukudou/Sukufu/Zar wards comprising 14 polling units, only 200 ballot boxes were distributed by INEC instead of 1, 000 ballot boxes earmarked for the polling units and at the end of the day there were results from the 1, 000 ballot boxes.

At Foru ward also in Michika comprising four polling units, INEC was said to have earmarked 8 ballot boxes for the election but only one ballot box was reportedly brought to one of the polling unit by INEC. At Yola South LGA, Kofar Baba ward_unit 009, security agencies working in tandem with a party’s agents, harassed and beat up election observers whom they suspected were dishing out reports not favourable to their party.

At Guyuk LGA, Dangir/Chikala ward, CPC agents rejected plans to conduct a secret ballot instead of open secret ballot approved by INEC resulting in their being arrested and taken away only to be released after collation had been done. In Madagali ward, in Madagali LGA, supporters of a party when news filtered out that CPC was stealing the show, snatched a ballot box with CPC votes, ran to the bush and nobody knew what happened to the box.

At Zumo ward, in Hong LGA, with about 2500 votes, CPC agents were singled out and arrested by security agents while the voters were harassed and threatened against their wishes.

In Gombi LGA, at Wusarma under Garkida ward, it was said that no election held there as voting materials had not been delivered as at 3pm because it was considered a CPC stronghold and when materials came at about 4pm, agents of a political instigated crises which led to election being disrupted with no voting taking place yet INEC had a result. At Gombi South Nursery unit, there was alleged over voting as total votes cast exceeded the number of registered voters, and supporters of a party were allowed to over-vote.

When agents of CPC challenged them, INEC officials in conjunction with security agents allegedly drove out the CPC agents and beat up those who refused to go out. Consequently, 95% of the votes were said to have been allocated to the political party while only 5% was shared between CPC and ACN. At Yola South LGA, the Secretary of Emirate Council of Adamawa allegedly used Police from the monarch’s Palace to arrest a CPC agent, Alhaji Aliu and took him to the state police CID. Observers believe his arrest was to create time and room for electoral malpractices. The CPC agent was however released hours later by the police authorities without any charges. .

after results had been collated giving the win to PDP.

At Yola North LGA, Gwadabawa ward housing 3 polling units, agents of a party were seen bribing policemen on duty resulting in the police dispersing CPC agents and harassing voters to vote a particular party.

In Toungo LGA, Dau 1 ward, comprising 9 poling units, INEC officials brought ballot papers without ballot boxes. CPC and ACN agents refused to participate until boxes were made available and it never happened.

Also at Kiri ward 004, also in Toungo, no voting materials as at 4 pm. CPC state chairman Ibrahim Waziri reported the Toungo issue to the INEC REC and he replied that the non distribution of voting materials are noted.

Also at Madagali, a Local Government Chairman was alleged to have gone to the polling units around on learning that CPC was leading, packed all the voters cards cast and took everything to the Madagali Police Station where there was no violence and the story changed.

So when 24 hours later, the Marwa Campaign Organization came out with a list of electoral atrocities committed during the election, which INEC chose to turn a blind eye to, it was little surprise that the Campaign Organization concluded the results INEC announced shouldn’t have held.

In the statement by the Campaign Organization, it said “At Hong, ACN agents were sighted with copies of result sheets in Thilbang ward and they were ignored by security agents even when their attention was drawn to the malpractice”.

There were Direct involvement of some traditional rulers, prominent persons in perpetrating ballot snatching and stuffing like the case of Ganye ward 2 in Ganye LGA where one Mr. Martins Babale was caught with 6 ballot boxes”.

“Similarly at Girei LGA, the Sole administrator, using security agents and thugs, drove away members of the media and observers from the polling units, after which the thugs intimidated voters to vote his party”.

“Rampant cases were reported of voters names excluded from the voters register displayed by INEC, thereby denying voters the opportunity to exercise their rights. A clear case was that of Numan ward 1, where most voters’ names did not appear in the register and were therefore denied from voting”.

Interestingly, the agent’s forms were released by INEC only after actual voting was at concluding stages. The use of, and distribution of  money by PDP agents openly by PDP officials or representatives around voting areas as was the case in Shagari ward  and Bako ward in Yola South LGA are visible examples”, the statement said.