The
Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has cancelled the earlier
announced supplementary elections in Bauchi State.
In a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja and signed by a National
Commissioner, Festus Okoye, the commission said it has approved Tuesday, 19th
March 2019 for the resumption, conclusion and announcement of the result of the
Tafawa Balewa Local Government in relation to the Governorship election.
INEC
also announced the change of the Collation Officer for Tafawa Balewa Local
Government who reportedly withdrew due to threat to her life.
The statement reads; “On the 12 day of March 2019 the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC) considered a report submitted by the Resident
Electoral Commissioner for Bauchi State on the disruption of the Collation
process at the Tafawa Balewa Collation Centre which led to the cancellation of
results for the entire Local Government.
“The
Commission found that there are issues that need further investigation and set
up a Committee for that purpose:
“The
findings of the Committee are as follows:
“The Governorship and State Assembly Elections were held on the 9th March 2019
in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area and the votes scored by candidates were
announced at the Polling Units and collated at the 11 Registration Areas of the
Local Government.
“Halfway
into the Local Government collation, armed gangs attacked the collation centre
and destroyed the Local Government Result Sheet (EC8C) and some collated
results from the Registration Areas. The results of 7 out of 11 Registration
Areas for Governorship and 6 out of 11 for State Assembly elections were
affected.
“INEC
guidelines provide that where violent disruption affects collation in this
manner, results should be regenerated from duplicate copies on a replacement
result sheet.
“The Collation Officer, under pressure from Party Agents who could not wait for
the arrival of a replacement result sheet, decided to collate the result on an
available RA result sheet instead of the replacement LGA result sheet.
“When
the result was presented at the State Governorship Collation Centre, the Returning
Officer rejected the regenerated result because it was on a wrong result sheet.
“The
Investigation Committee established that the result in Polling Units and
Registration Areas are available and in safe custody.
“The Investigation Committee also established that the number of cancelled
votes for the 4 Polling Units in Ningi Local Government Area which was recorded
as 25,330 in form EC40G (1) was incorrect. The actual figure is 2,533.
Consequently, the Commission has taken the following decisions:
“Approved
the resumption and conclusion of the collation of results of Tafawa Balewa
Local Government Area in relation to the Governorship election as the duplicate
and original Registration Area results are available.
“Approved
the resumption, conclusion and announcement of the result of the Tafawa Balewa
State Constituency.
“The appointment of a new Collation/Returning Officer for Tafawa Balewa Local
Government to continue and conclude the collation process in place of the
original Collation Officer who withdrew from the exercise citing threats to her
life and those of her family members.
“The
Collation process for Tafawa Balewa Local Government will resume on Tuesday,
19th March 2019.
“The
Commission directed that the error in the total number of cancelled votes in
four polling units in Ningi Local Government Area should be corrected from
25,330 to 2,533.
“The Commission appeals to all stakeholders for continuous support and
understanding”.
