The Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) has tackled the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its
decision to conduct supplementary governorship election in Bauchi state while
all results have not been collated.
In a letter addressed to Mahmood
Yakubu, INEC chairman, and dated March 21, the PDP said such decision
contradicts provisions of the electoral act as well as the INEC guidelines for
the conduct of the elections.
Mohammed Kyari, the returning
officer of the Bauchi governorship election, had declared it inconclusive after
the number of cancelled votes exceeded the margin of victory between the two
leading candidates, with results from Tafawa Balewa LGA pending.
But while INEC had fixed Tuesday
for collation of the remaining results, a federal high court in Abuja issued an
order stopping the process pending the determination of a suit brought by
Mohammed Abubakar, governor of the state.
Notwithstanding, INEC said it
would proceed with a supplementary election earlier scheduled for Saturday,
while awaiting the decision of the court on the collation process.
In the letter signed by Uche
Secondus, PDP national chairman, a copy of which was seen by TheCable, the
party asked INEC to suspend the supplementary election pending the collation of
results.
The letter read: “It is important
to note that rerun or supplementary election can only be ripe and determined
upon conclusion of collation of all the results from the 20 local government
areas in the state and the margin between the winner and runner up is known.
“This is the provision of the law
as provided in the regulation and guidelines for the conduct of elections,
specifically paragraphs 33 (a) and (e) and 34 (e).
“By the combined effects of the
paragraphs, the commission shall wait to determine the margin of lead between
the two leading candidates of the governorship election after collation of the
overall results of the election before deciding to embark on the supplementary
poll. Hence there is no basis for a supplementary election at the polling units
cancelled.”
The party, therefore, demanded
the “immediate suspension of the supplementary election” until collation of
results from Tafawa Balewa has been concluded.
The total number of registered
voters for the supplementary governorship poll is 22,759
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