The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has described the Saturday, November 18, elections as one of the most challenging in the history of the state.

The PDP gubernatorial candidate in Jigawa state stated this in a statement via his Facebook page.

According to the statement, “We thank Allah for sparing our lives so we could witness these elections in good health. I want to thank the people for having the resilience and patience to cast their votes and our supporters for their loyalty and dedication to the PDP throughout this trying period.

“For the first time, polls in Jigawa State have been dominated by violence, ballot box destruction, intimidation, irregularities, and unprecedented vote buying, all of which violate the Electoral Act. These are things that are alien to our political culture.

“It is unfortunate that INEC and other relevant authorities could not address many of our concerns before, during, and after the elections. For these reasons, we are studying the election outcome critically with all stakeholders to decide on the next line of action. All lovers of the state must join hands to see that we address the current evils for the sake of our future.

“In the meantime, based on preliminary evidence, we have objected to the outcome of the elections entirely, especially in the local government areas where INEC declared the State Assembly election results inconclusive.

“I want to encourage our supporters and other well-meaning citizens of the state to remain calm and peaceful. Our vision for a united and prosperous Jigawa State may have been delayed temporarily, but the struggle shall continue until we reach our destination, insha Allah.”

The Daily Post reported that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has declared candidate Muhammad Ali of the APC as the winner of the governorship election in the state after scoring 618,449 votes against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)'s Mustapha Sule Lamido, who scored 368,726 votes, and Ibrahim Aminu Ringim of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), who scored 37,156 votes.