“We wrote election results many times” – Kaduna governor’s aide boasts of past rigging
The Special Adviser on Political Matters to Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, Abubakar Mamadi, has boasted about past manipulation of election results in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
Mamadi, a former member of the House of Representatives who represented Igabi Federal Constituency, also suggested that the manipulation and irregularities that allegedly characterised the All Progressives Congress primaries in Kaduna State could be repeated during the 2027 general elections.
He made the remarks in a video clip while reacting to comments by former Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Yusuf Zailani, who had claimed that some candidates produced by the party could not win the general election.
Zailani, who lost the APC senatorial ticket for Kaduna Central to Senator Shehu Sani, accused party leaders of injustice and intimidation while questioning the electoral strength of some candidates.
“They went and gave tickets to people who cannot win elections. What they did clearly shows they do not want President Tinubu to win the 2027 election. It is important that we let the cat out of the bag and inform the President that these people are deceiving him and cannot deliver Kaduna for him,” he said.
He further argued that intimidation would not stop resistance against alleged manipulation.
“These threats are unnecessary because nobody can intimidate me. If you rigged the primaries, do you think you can rig the general election? The masses will resist you,” Zailani added.
Responding while playing host to stakeholders from Igabi on Thursday, Mamadi said he had watched the former speaker’s video and noted specific claims raised.
“I saw a video of the former Speaker (Yusuf Zailani) making some claims. I took note of three claims he made in the video,” Mamadi said.
Mamadi then addressed Zailani’s criticism of the primary election process.
“First, he said the primary election results were written and concocted and therefore we cannot win the general election. But I want us to use our brains, since we are not drug addicts,” he said.
He also recalled what he described as previous involvement in manipulating election outcomes.
“I also want to remind him of how both of us, alongside some other people, rigged elections, not only primaries but general elections in the past,” he said.
“We wrote election results in Igabi, not once, not twice. If he has forgotten, it is important to remind him that we wrote election results many times in Igabi. I’m talking about general elections, not primaries. So if he is still thinking about primaries, we have also written general election results.”
Mamadi also referred to previous encounters with security agencies while responding to comments about arrests.
“Secondly, I also saw him boasting that he is not afraid of anybody or being arrested. Let me remind him of how both of us once sneaked away to evade arrest after we received invitation letters from the Commissioner of Police. So now he is boasting that nobody can arrest him. Who is he fooling?” Mamadi asked.
He further referenced an invitation by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) while questioning Zailani’s comments.
“When he was also invited by the EFCC, I personally saw how he was sweating and looking frustrated. So why is he now boasting that nobody can do anything to him?” he asked.
Mamadi concluded by dismissing Zailani’s criticism and urging party stakeholders in Igabi to ignore him.
“Let me tell him that we are strong enough to deal with him even without federal intervention. I want to plead with stakeholders in Igabi to ignore him and not be bothered by his outbursts. He is envious and pained by defeat,” Mamadi said.
“He has spent 20 years occupying a particular political position and is now being confronted with the reality that he may lose that seat. Change, even in the scriptures, is inevitable.”