A Civil Society Organisation, the Conscience Nigeria, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to reconsider its position of resuming collation of the Feb. 23 governorship election in Bauchi State.
The CSO in a statement issued by its Programme Director, Mr Mesele Joe in Abuja, called on INEC to revert to the status quo of inconclusive election in the state.
“The INEC should conduct a supplementary election in the state on March 23 instead of resuming collation of results in the interest of peace.
“The arbitrary decision by INEC to resume collation of the governorship election result from some units previously declared inconclusive can endanger democracy.
“We advise the commission to work against subversive reversal in the state because INEC cannot reprobate and also approbate over its own decisions.
“It looks like INEC is now arrogating to itself the power to determine what mode of post-election decision should apply in each state,” it said.
According to the statement, the INEC decision is against the principle of fair play and electoral justice.
“Consequently, we are asking INEC to revert to the status quo of inconclusive election in Bauchi State and ensure that election holds on March 23, as applicable in other five states – Kano, Benue, Adamawa, Sokoto and Plateau.
“We want INEC to seriously consider the peace of the state which is currently threatened by its subversive reversal and ensure that the affected constituencies are allowed to vote freely for their choice as earlier admitted,” it said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that INEC had on Friday said in a statement that it would resume the collation of the governorship election result in Bauchi on Tuesday, adding that it may also declare the winner of the poll, hitherto ruled as inconclusive.
The commission announced the decision after resolving some issues around the result of Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area and some polling units in Ningi Local Government Area in the state.
According to INEC, “the number of cancelled votes in four polling units in Ningi local government area was 2,533 votes and not 25,330 votes as recorded”.
“INEC thus decided to resume the resumption and conclusion of the collation of results of those council areas for both the governorship and state assembly elections”.(NAN)
