The People’s Democratic Party, PDP, candidate, Kaka Bolori on Monday announced that he was heading to court following his defeat in last Saturday’s Borno Central Senatorial district bye election in Borno state.

On Sunday, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Babakaka Bashir Garbai, the winner polling 120,639 votes while Bolori got 32,346

The PDP described the election a charade, alleging that INEC and security agencies colluded with the APC in rigging the election which he also said was “a mockery of democracy”.

Bolori alleged that the bye-election was not “free and fair,”, adding that the agents of six political opposition parties were ‘harassed and intimidated’ by the police and members of Civilian JTF.

“The Saturday election was not fair. Not free and not properly conducted by INEC. Therefore on these grounds we will simply challenge it in the court of law,” Bolori declared.

He noted that the Borno bye election was the first electoral test under President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and added that if the government cannot conduct free and fair election in a senatorial contest, then “the forthcoming elections in Bayelsa and Kogi states may not be credibly conducted freely and fair.

Speaking further on the election, the PDP candidate   said that the party “had pictures where the APC thugs were beating our party agents with visible marks on their bodies. We also have our vehicles destroyed with most of their shields shattered by APC thugs”.

Contrary to PDP’s allegations, however, independent observers accredited by INEC who monitored the election led by Gabriel Mwambu on Monday declared it was free, fair and devoid of violence.

Mwanbu said the 10 accredited observers witnessed no violence or criminal activities and urged that “the way the election was conducted to be replicated in future elections in the country.

On the allegation by PDP over irregularities and maltreatment of agents, Mwambu said that “It is a known fact that most Nigerian politicians are sour losers and would like to discredit a process once they lose an election”.