According to a report published by The Sun on Sunday, May 17, 2026, a prominent All Progressives Congress (APC) figure in Taraba State, Chief David Sabo Kente, has raised concerns over the party’s House of Representatives primary election in the state, claiming the exercise slated for Saturday did not hold as widely reported.
He explained that the primaries could not proceed because election materials were distributed very late at night, contradicting claims that voting successfully took place in several parts of the state.
Kente made these remarks on Sunday in Jalingo during a press briefing, where he responded to what he described as misleading reports about the conduct and outcome of the exercise.
He further disclosed that he received a call from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) around 5 a.m. on Sunday, informing him that the distribution of election materials would commence at Fastrack Hotel.
According to him, this message came at a time when videos alleging that voting had already been completed were already trending across social media platforms.
He argued that the timing of both the material distribution and the viral clips raised doubts about the credibility of claims that elections had been conducted in different parts of the state.
Kente also dismissed rumours suggesting he was pressured or influenced, stating that he was not aware of any inducement linked to the process.
He maintained that his comments were based strictly on his personal assessment of events surrounding the handling of electoral materials and the sequence in which activities unfolded.
He added that available information indicated the materials arrived around mid-afternoon the previous day and were later distributed overnight, while parallel activities were allegedly ongoing in various local government areas.
He also alleged concerns about the integrity of the process, claiming that results may have been predetermined before any actual voting took place.
Reaffirming his position, he insisted there was no legitimate election in the state.
In his words: “On the ongoing primaries, I want to put it on record that there was no election in Taraba yesterday. The materials arrived yesterday around 3pm and were distributed through the night. At the same time, elections were going on in the Local Government Areas and we gather that the results have been written already… So I want to put it on record that there was no election anywhere.”