The candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for Borno Central Senatorial District, Hon Jibrin Tatabe, has dragged the National Chairman of the party Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, and other officials to the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) over alleged forgery and perjury of his withdrawal from the 2023 general election.
A petition signed by its legal team, Shu’aibu Mu’azu and Associates, and addressed to the IGP was tagged “Notice of Fraudulent Misrepresentation of Fact in Issue in Respect of Nomination of Jibrin Tatabe as Peoples Democratic Party Candidate Borno State Central Senatorial District” and dated 4th August 2022.
The petition read in part, “I write to express my concern over the issue of abuse of power, impunity and forgery the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) perpetrated against me. Since our national convention and subsequent primary election conducted and candidates nominated, there has been outright and open abuse of power and impunity by those whom have been placed to manage the affairs of our party.
“I contested and won the party primary election conducted in Maiduguri on the 23rd of May, 2022. I defeated my opponent by 244 votes. The party subsequently issued me certificate of return. Some Borno State Abuja-based party leaders who are contributing nothing towards the development of the party in state clandestinely tried several avenues to replace me with Hon. Mohammed Umara Kumalia who failed to contest in the primary election knowing full well that he will be defeated, but I refused.
“I honorably told them that why did he not contest the party primary ? I clearly told them I was voted by the delegates of my constituency thus representing them. The personality that purportedly substituted me was until recently a member of APC and the party in the State confirmed he is still their member and was suspended.,”
Tatabe said there are criteria for a returning member which have to be followed holistically as enshrined in the party’s constitution.
Tatabe added, “To the best of my knowledge I have not written any withdrawal letter and personally deliverer same to anybody. The purported withdrawal letter was addressed to the State Party Chairman. As the Almighty God is always on the side of the truth, I eventually got to know of their atrocities and swiftly instructed my solicitor who wrote to the National Chairman to immediately discountenance the purported letter of withdrawal.
“The solicitor equally wrote to the Chairman of INEC and the Inspector-General of Police and copied other security agencies. I asked the state party chairman; he instantly told me that he has not seen this letter and nobody gave him such letter. I personally met the National Chairman (Dr. Iyorchia Ayu) and told him about the abnormally. He said he will investigate. It is a pity how can someone sign a documents without knowing how it originated. The initiators of the Electorate Act amendment are conversant with such crude maneuvers orchestrated by political parties hence the inclusion of some clauses that will forestall such fraudulent atrocities.”
