By Tijah Austine, Lafia
The chairman of the electoral committee of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Hon. Solomon Dalung, has cancelled the party’s governorship primary election conducted in four Local Government Areas of Nasarawa State over alleged irregularities, violence and other controversies.
Speaking with journalists on Monday at the ADC Secretariat in Lafia, Dalung identified the affected LGAs as Nasarawa, Doma, Toto and Karu, citing varying challenges that undermined the credibility of the exercise.
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According to him, no election was conducted in Doma LGA, despite the submission of written results. He added that party agents confirmed they were not issued carbon copies of the result sheets.
Dalung further disclosed that in Toto LGA, electoral officers reported being detained by unidentified persons in Keffi from noon until 10 p.m. before presenting results allegedly obtained under those conditions.
He explained that in Nasarawa LGA, election materials were distributed at a vigilante post, but the electoral officer claimed he was prevented from proceeding with the exercise and was later handed results.
In Karu LGA, Dalung said violence erupted before the election, leading to an attack on the party chairman. He noted that the electoral officer abandoned the process, while an unauthorised individual later submitted results.
The committee chairman stressed that under the ADC’s direct primary guidelines, two conditions must be met before any result can be recognised — physical counting of party members and the availability of a corresponding result sheet.
“If there is no evidence of physical counting, then direct primaries did not take place. The ADC guidelines clearly state that the electoral committee shall not recognise or accept any election where party members were not physically counted,” he said.
Dalung also referenced Section 10 of the Electoral Act, noting that unauthorised possession of electoral materials is an offence punishable by up to five years imprisonment or a ₦10 million fine.
He revealed that the committee had already collated results from nine LGAs and was awaiting submissions from the remaining four.
According to him, primary elections were successfully conducted in Awe, Kokona, Akwanga, Nasarawa Eggon, Keffi, Keana, Obi, Lafia and Wamba LGAs.
Dalung maintained that the party would take decisive action over the reported complaints and communicate its findings to the appropriate ADC authorities.
“There was a breach of the ADC constitution. If there are complaints that elections did not take place, we will take a decision and write to the highest body of the ADC,” he stated.
