ADC Governorship Primary Cancelled in Four Nasarawa LGAs — Dalung

Former Minister of Youth and Sports Development and Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Governorship Primary Electoral Committee, Solomon Dalung, has cancelled the party’s governorship primary election in four local government areas of Nasarawa State over alleged irregularities and violence.
Dalung announced the cancellation on Monday while addressing journalists at the party secretariat in Lafia.
The affected local government areas are Nasarawa, Doma, Toto and Karu, where he said various forms of malpractice and disruption marred the exercise.
According to him, no election was conducted in Doma despite the submission of written results, while party agents reportedly confirmed they were not issued carbon copies of the result sheets.
He further alleged that electoral officers assigned to Toto LGA were detained by unidentified persons in Keffi from noon until 10 p.m. before results obtained under those circumstances were later presented.
In Nasarawa LGA, Dalung said election materials were distributed at a vigilante post, but the electoral officer claimed he was prevented from proceeding with the exercise and was later handed results.
Speaking on Karu LGA, he disclosed that violence erupted before the commencement of voting, leading to an attack on the party chairman. He added that the electoral officer abandoned the process, after which an unauthorised individual allegedly submitted results.
Dalung stressed that under the ADC direct primary guidelines, valid results must be backed by physical counting of party members and proper documentation on result sheets.
“If there is no evidence of physical counting, direct primaries did not take place. The ADC guidelines clearly state that the electoral committee shall not recognise or accept any election where party members were not physically counted,” he said.
He also referenced Section 10 of the Electoral Act, noting that unlawful possession of electoral materials attracts a penalty of up to five years imprisonment or a fine of ₦10 million.
The committee chairman, however, stated that results from nine local government areas had already been collated, while reports from the remaining four LGAs were still being awaited.
He added that a detailed report on the irregularities would be forwarded to the ADC national secretariat for further action.