Abdulmumin Jibrin speaks after losing Kano re-run (full statement)

The former chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin Kofa, who contested for the seat on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has reacted to his loss in the recent Kano rerun election.

He blamed those who did not allow his constituents to vote for the loss. Read full statement below:

“The Kiru/Bebeji re-run election was held on Saturday 25th January, 2020 as scheduled. My constituents came out en mass to exercise their civic responsibility but were denied their franchise to vote the candidate and party of their choice through the application of maximum force in all the wards of our constituency except my home town of Kofa, Bebeji that proved impenetrable.

We know we won the election fairy and squarely but our mandate was stolen. “In many units, elections never took place. The ballot boxes were diverted but scores were miraculously entered. The violence, thuggery and rigging that took place have been carefully documented, at least for posterity.

I have strong reservations about the outcome of the elections. However, INEC has announced my opponent as the winner of the election. “Police, other security agencies and voters can bear witness to the fact that the electoral umpire announced the result not because my opponent had scored the majority of lawful votes.

I am sure those of them saddled with the responsibility of ensuring a free and fair election but aided and abated this grave injustice against our people will be eternally trailed by the guilt of their conscience and await the ultimate judgement of God.

“I have therefore accepted the outcome of the elections and wish to congratulate my opponent Aliyu Datti Ahmed who will continue from where I started about a decade ago and has now come to an end. I look forward to working closely with him and giving him whatever cooperation and assistance to settle down in his new role of representing our people. I do not intend to file petition against his declaration as winner. It is time to move on.

“I wish to thank Mr President, Vice President, Senate President, Speaker of the House, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, National Chairman of our party the APC, Governor and Government of Kano state, chairman of the Governors forum, my colleagues in the 7th, 8th, and 9th House and other leaders at the federal and state level for their intervention and support during this period.

May I also specially and once again thank my Governor, our party leadership at the state level and members of our party in Kano for their support. “I thank my constituents who are still recovering from the trauma of what can best be described as a violent war against them, for giving me the opportunity to represent them on three occasions and the love and support they have showed me over the years.

“I will continue to support the progress and development of my party, the APC both at the national and state levels and my constituency and constituents in my personal capacity as I have always done before I became an elected Representative nine years ago.”