SDP Candidate Claims INEC Conspired With PDP to Rig Results.

 Innocent Umaru Jabayang, a candidate for the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the recently held rerun election in Taraba State, announced that he had finalized plans to file a lawsuit against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and its nominee, Sadiq Tafida.

Disappointed with the results of the rerun in the federal constituency by-election for Jalingo/Yorro/Zing, the candidate declared that he would use all legal measures to recover what he called “a stolen mandate”.

Declaring his intentions in a statement to reporters in the state capital of Jalingo, he contended that the election was marked by isolated anomalies in the majority of Jalingo's polling places.

The returning officer for the election, Professor Olarenwaju Oladipo of the Federal University Wukari, announced Sadiq Tafida of the PDP as the winner on Thursday.

Jabayang responded to the proclamation by declaring he was going to take legal action to get back what he felt was rightly his.

“My lawyers have already initiated legal proceedings. I won the election, but INEC colluded with the PDP to manipulate the results. I have concrete evidence to present to the judiciary, proving that my mandate was stolen. I will pursue this matter until justice is served.”

He said there were several anomalies in the election, including the cancelation of polling places in which he supposedly held a lead and instances of excessive voting in favor of the PDP candidate. Jabayang pledged to uphold the mandate that the people had given him and pursue legal action to address his concerns.