Bauchi state chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) Alhaji Uba Nana has rejected the report of the fact finding committee sent by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) headquarters to the state on the Tafawa Balewa Local government governorship election results that were cancelled by the State returning officer.
The sate returning officer last Sunday declared Bauchi governorship election inconclusive after cancelling Tafawa Balewa local government results following a complaint by the local government returning officer Mrs Dominion Anosike that hoodlums attacked and forced her to announce doctored results.
Bluprints reports that the electoral body sent an investigative committee to the state which recommended that the result of the affected local government should be regenerated and collation process would continue on Tuesday rather than conducting rerun election.
But the state APC chairman in a press conference on Saturday condemned the report of the panel alleging that his party was not given fair hearing.
According to him, INEC has not legal right to tamper with the decision of the returning officer to conduct rerun election in the local government.
He also accused the electoral body of bias alleging that APC filed a petition against the Bauchi local government results where PDP scored 102, 000 votes against his party which polled 56, 000 votes on the ground that the election was marred by over voting, thuggery and intimation of APC supporters but it was yet to act on that.
“Considering the letters and spirit of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended), and the INEC Guidelines for 2019 General Elections, INEC is not empowered to reverse any decision taken at the Collation Center by the Returning Officer appointed for that purpose. Such decisions can only be reversed by a Court of law especially when INEC cannot Approbate and Reprobate.”
“The composition of the committee is also questionable as the Committee chairman, Festus Okoye Esq, is a close ally of and ex-personal Solicitor of Hon. Yakubu Dogara of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). No justice can be done by the committee chairman who is interested in the whole issues and the instant circumstances.”
