Taraba PDP Rejects Outcome of Karim-Lamido 1 By-Election, Alleges Manipulation
By Henry Agbu
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Taraba State chapter, has rejected the outcome of the by-election for Karim-Lamido 1 State Constituency held on August 16, accusing the All Progressives Congress (APC) of electoral malpractice and intimidation.
Alhaji Abubakar Bawa
Addressing journalists in Jalingo, the State Chairman of the PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Bawa, described the exercise as “a macabre display of gangsterism” alleging that results were snatched at gunpoint, altered, and imposed on returning officers.
“The PDP went into the contest with faith in the culture of orderly conduct. What we saw portends grave danger for democracy. The APC, realizing that the people were not willing to vote for them, resorted to intimidation, threats, and the use of lethal weapons,” Bawa said.
According to figures released by the PDP from ward collation centres, the party scored 7,599 votes against APC’s 6,166. ADC polled 1,797 votes, while SDP secured 136.
However, Bawa alleged that in some cases, results were tampered with before reaching the constituency collation centre.
He cited Bikwin Ward, where the PDP claims it scored 3,737 votes at the ward level, but the figure was reduced to 1,963 en route to the constituency collation centre.
In Karim “B” Ward, Bandawa, at Angwan Yakubu/Mambilo 010 Polling Unit, the PDP said it polled 337 votes against APC’s 108. But the returning officer allegedly refused to accept the result after discovering alterations on the original sheet.
The PDP also raised concerns over the cancellation of 10 polling units with more than 7,000 registered voters and over 3,000 accredited voters.
Bawa argued that with the lead margin between the APC and PDP being fewer than 500 votes, the poll ought to have been declared inconclusive in line with INEC guidelines.
“Our party rejects the result as declared on the 17th of August, 2025. We insist that the principle of margin of lead should have been applied, and the election declared inconclusive,” the chairman said.
He appealed to PDP supporters to remain calm, assuring them that the party would pursue legitimate options to reclaim what he called its “stolen mandate.”
