By Achadu Gabriel, Kaduna
A former member of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Matthew Simon Gwazah, has raised concerns over the conduct of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Representatives primary election for the Zangon Kataf/Jaba Federal Constituency in Kaduna State.
Gwazah, who contested in the May 17, 2026 primary election and came second, alleged irregularities in the voting process, including the absence of an official voter register during the exercise. Speaking in an interview, the former lawmaker said the primary was conducted using the Option A4 voting system after aspirants failed to reach a consensus.
According to him, there was confusion over the party membership register due to separate registration exercises conducted by different factions within the PDP. Gwazah claimed that no official register was provided at polling points to verify eligible voters during the primary election.
“It was expected that INEC or the party would provide the names of eligible registered voters, but that did not happen,” he said. He added that some participants reportedly presented proof of registration on their mobile phones, while others allegedly joined the queues without verification.
Gwazah said he and his supporters were reviewing the outcome of the exercise and noted that any aggrieved aspirant had the right to challenge the process through appropriate channels. As of the time of filing this report, neither the Independent National Electoral Commission nor the Peoples Democratic Party had publicly responded to the allegations.
