INEC schedules re-run election in Bauchi within 21 days

The Independent National Electoral Commission in the early hours of Monday declared the governorship election in Bauchi State inconclusive and ordered for supplementary elections in 21 days in areas like Tafawa Balewa local council whose result was rejected.

The Returning Officer, Kyari Mohammed, explained that margin between the lead parties the PDP which polled 469,512 votes and the APC which polled 465,453 is far less than the number of registered voters in the affected Tafawa Balewa local council which 139,240.

For this reason, he declared the election inconclusive.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, indicated that the commission will conduct a re-run within 21 days.

Prof. Mohammed Kyari, Returning Officer who made the declaration on Monday said that apart from the cancellation of the result from entire Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area because of irregularities, the exercise in some other polling units also suffered the same fate.

“The margin between the winner and opponent is less than the total number of votes cancelled in some polling units.

“By law, since the margin of winner is less than the total number of votes cancelled and registered voters in the areas where the votes have been cancelled, this elections is hereby declared inconclusive,” he said.

He said his decision was in line with section 26 part 53 of the Electoral Act.

While announcing the votes garnered by the two contending parties before declaring the outcome inconclusive, the Returning Officer had given the scores of incumbent governor, Mohammed Abubakar of APC as 465,453 votes and that of Bala Mohammed of PDP as 469,512 votes.

Earlier in the day, the INEC Collation Officer in charge of Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area, Mr. Dominion Anosike, had told the Returning Officer that the original result sheet was snatched by some thugs.

She said the thugs later came back with an improvised result sheet and forced her to declare its content as being the outcome of the election in the local government area.