INEC Cancels Bauchi Supplementary Elections, To Announce Final Governorship Result

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.”