Drama as opposition who wins LG Chairmanship election is denied Certificate of Return in Niger

Mild drama ensued on Wednesday at the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC) when a chairman elect of Katcha Local Government Area on the platform of Social Democratic Party (SDP) Danlami Abdullahi Saku was denied certificate of return by the State electoral umpire.

The State Chairman of NSIEC, Alh. Baba Aminu had at last week Thursday conducted an election across the twenty five local government areas of the state, which the SDP candidate won.

The election which was marred with irregularities witnessed low turnout of voters in some polling units across the LGAs.

Earlier, the SDP candidate was declared winner of the election against the All Progressives Congress (APC), candidate, Musa Isyaku by the Chairman of NSIEC Alhaji Aminu Baba.

However, all the elected Local Government chairmen were invited for their certificate of return by the Secretary of State Electoral Commission, Ibrahim Mohammed Maburya only for the SDP chairman elect to be told that a re-run election is to be conducted in three wards of the local government.

Other elected chairmen were issued with their certificate of return, but the chairman elect of the SDP was denied to be issued with his own certificate.

Already tension is enveloping in Katcha town as a result of the refusal to issue certificate of return to the chairman elect of Katcha local government under the platform of SDP.

In a protest letter forwarded to the governor of Niger state, Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello by a Minna based legal practitioner, Barrister Ebunike Charles Ebuka, he appealed to the governor to prevail on the Chairman of the State Electoral body to issue the certificate of return to Danlami Abdullahi Saku, having won Thursday November 10 Local Government elections conducted across the 25 local government elections in the state.

The letter with a caption “Another Attempt To Subvert The Wish And Certificate of Return Of Social Democratic party (SDP), Of Katcha Local Council Election Held On November 10th, 2022”

The letter read in part: “Your Excellency Sir, Social Democratic party (SDP) has won the local government council election held on the 10th November, 2022 and was declared winner by Alhaji Baba Aminu the chairman of Niger state Independent Electoral Commission.

“Upon the said declaration, our client was invited via a letter dated 15 November 2022 to come to the Niger State Independent Electoral Commission to receive his Certificate of Return on November 16 November 2022.

“The NSIEC chairman is about to throw your sense of equity, Justice and fairness to all parties in the mud” the letter declared.

The letter a copy made available to CAPITAL POST in Minna stated that the teaming supporters of the SDP were in Minna to receive the Certificate and the commission is dragging her feet with the aim of not giving the SDP chairman elect of Katcha Local Council his certificate of return.

“In view of the above fact, we humbly crave the indulgence of of your Excellency to Immediately direct the chairman of the NSIEC to issue the certificate of return to (our client), SDP and suspend the NSIEC for his unconstitutional behavior at this trying moment of our democracy in Nigeria”, the letter added.