*drags him to court
By; SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Borno State Chapter has accused Hon. Mohammed Umara Kumalia of allegedly submitting to Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters Abuja, a letter claiming that he emerged PDP Borno Central Senatorial Candidate after Hon. Jibrin Mustapha Tatabe stepped down for him, alleging that the signature of the actual candidate, Jibrin Mustapha Tatabe has been forged or faked without his consent or knowledge.
The Secretary General of Hon. Jibrin Mustapha Tatabe Campaign Organization, Borno Central, Hon. Haruna Musa who stated this at a press conference with Journalists’ held at the NUJ Press Center on Thursday, added that, the alleged letter was purportedly fabricated purposely to distract the attention of the party from concentrating on its forthcoming election campaigns and create confusion in the electoral process.
He also said, “We the the PDP Local Government and Ward Party Executives of Borno Central Senatorial District are astonished to hear that the Senatorial Candidate of Borno Central District, Hon. Jibrin Mustapha Tatabe who was unanimously elected by our party delegates during the 2022 party primary elections was purportedly alleged to have been substituted and replaced by Hon. Mohammed Umara Kumalia by our party.
“The PDP constitution as amended is very clear on the re-admission of returning members to the party and to the best of our knowledge, Hon. Mohammed Umara Kumalia didn’t apply for waiver to contest for any elective position for our endorsement and escalation
in our record which is sacrosanct since he has lost his seniority.
” Worst of it all, If it is substitution, we have many who have laboured for the party in our constituency. However, We have contacted and approached , Hon. Jibrin Mustapha Tatabe, the party’s elected and winner of the PDP party primaries for Borno Central Senatorial Candidate and found out that he has never withdrawn his
nomination as our Borno Central Senatorial Candidate for the 2023 general election.
“We are also aware that his opponent in the primaries held on the 28/5/22 in the person of Alhaji Bukar Kachalla took him
and the party to court where the court in its wisdom, ruled in favour of Hon Jibrin Mustapha Tatabe and dismissed the case. A sane person must ask, can a person that withdrew his nomination follow up with keen interest to the conclusion of a court case that has to do with his nomination without abandoning it?
“We are aware of Section 31 of the electorate Act 2022 as amended which is vividly clear that “a candidate may withdraw his/her nomination by notice in writing
signed by him and shall be delivered personally by him/her to the political party that nominated him/her.
“Suffice to say, section 29(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 as amended states also that, “Every political party shall, not later than 180 days before the date appointed for a
general election under this Act, submit to the Commission, in the prescribed Forms, the list of the candidates the party proposes to sponsor at the elections, who must
have emerged from valid primaries conducted by the political party.
“The originators of this Act are aware of the clandestine maneuvers of our political parties hence the amendment to forestall such actions and the party primary must be monitored by INEC”, Musa said.
The spokesman further submitted that, ” it is imperative to put the record straight. We are not aware of any Senatorial party
primary conducted in our constituency except the one held on the 28/5/22 that produced Hon. Jibrin Mustapha Tatabe as the Senatorial Candidate of Borno
Central Senatorial district.”
“It is apparent to view that such impunity which subsists in other political parties is equally manifesting under the current leadership of our great party. We had great expectations from the national leadership of the party but to our dismay it, proves us wrong. We are an opposition party that desires to takeover power from
the ruling party; if impunity exists in our party, nobody will vote for us in the forthcoming election.
“The voters are wise, you cannot impose a candidate on them.
We are therefore, informing the world that we are not aware of any party primary conducted in our constituency that produced the purported Hon Kumalia and
accordingly we are not part of it,” the party chairman, Musa added.
The Director General, said that, ” we are presently challenging Hon. Mohammed Umara Kumalia in court for alleged forgery of our PDP Senatorial Candidate signature in person of Hon. Jibrin Mustapha Tatabe.
” For faking or copying his signature to write a false letter to INEC stating that Hon. Jibrin Mustapha Tatabe our Borno Central Senatorial Candidate elected during our party primaries this year conducted by INEC and declared winner of the primary election as well as returned duly elected by INEC has withdrawn or stepped down for him.
” It is a lie and false statement fabricated by Kumalia in a letter allegedly said to have been written and forwarded to INEC. So, instead of keeping quiet about the allegations, we decided to come out publicly through the media to call on people, especially, our party members and supporters to disregard and distance themselves from such falsehood and allegations.
“However, we have gone to court and filed a suit against him and are now waiting for hearing in the matter and that is why we are here at the NUJ for the journalists’ to publicize the matter on their pages of newspapers worldwide and let the general public know the truth”, Mustapha said.
While the PDP Zonal Party Chairmen Forum Chairman, Borno Central Senatorial District, Hon. Kaka Shettima Mustapha said, “the party shall not relent in its efforts to clear the air and let the public know the truth against the political mischief and prostitution Hon. Kumalia is perpetuating in order to smear the party’s image and rubbish the party’s bright future for successful election”.
The LGAs comprising the Borno Central Senatorial District include MMC, Jere, Konduga, Mafa, Gamboru Ngala, Bama, Dikwa, and Kala Balge.