The Peoples Democratic Party in Gombe State has rejected the outcome of the recent local government elections, describing the exercise as a mockery of democracy and an assault on the will of the people.

In a strongly worded statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Abdulkadir-Ahmad Dukku, the opposition party alleged that the poll, conducted by the Gombe State Independent Electoral Commission, fell far short of acceptable democratic standards and was designed to exclude opposition participation.

The electoral body had declared the ruling All Progressives Congress winner of all 11 chairmanship seats and the 114 councillorship positions across the state, a clean sweep the PDP insists could only have been achieved through a deeply flawed process.

The party said it boycotted the exercise after concluding that the conditions under which it was organised made genuine competition impossible. It described the poll as a “child’s play,” alleging that ballot boxes were not taken to several polling units and that the process merely repeated what it called a “kangaroo” pattern of local government elections under Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya’s administration.

According to the statement, the failure to mobilise and reassure opposition parties ahead of the vote, coupled with alleged irregularities on election day, rendered the outcome illegitimate and unrepresentative of the electorate’s choices.

Beyond the conduct of the poll, the PDP broadened its criticism to the wider governance style of the APC-led administration in Gombe, accusing it of undermining democratic principles through recent demolition exercises across the state.

The party claimed that the demolition of structures had heightened tension between the government and affected residents, and condemned remarks allegedly made by the governor in a viral video, which it described as vulgar and demeaning. Such utterances, the PDP argued, violated the constitutional right to dignity and eroded public confidence in leadership.

The statement also faulted the expulsion of Gombawa Motors from the Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo Mega Motor Park, alleging that the move was politically motivated and targeted at perceived opponents. It maintained that transport operators and their members, as citizens of Gombe State, were entitled to hold and express political views without fear of intimidation or economic reprisals.

The PDP called on the state government to reverse actions it considers punitive, respect constitutional rights, and commit to transparent, inclusive governance that guarantees a level playing field for all political actors.