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The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has reacted to the decision of the electoral umpire in some states where governorship elections results are yet to be completely declared so that winners will emerge.
According to Daily Trust, the APC expressed its opposition to what he called illegal decisions on Rivers and Bauchi States by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The APC National Publicity Secretary, Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, said in a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja that the electoral process was suspended in Rivers state in a very fraudulent circumstance.
Issa-Onilu, however, voiced confidence that the APC would be victorious in the forthcoming supplementary elections in Kano, Sokoto, Benue, Plateau, and Adamawa States.
“We are concerned and deeply troubled by the unfolding events in Rivers State. The APC strongly condemns this horrid dance in Rivers State. This unholy alliance between Governor Nyesom Wike, PDP and INEC is to prevent Rivers people from electing a candidate of their choice by imposing Wike, the PDP candidate on them. It was glaring that Wike was losing until INEC stepped in to halt the process apparently to save Wike from impending defeat. INEC must put a halt to this madness and brazen illegality,” the party noted concerning INEC’s decision on Rivers.
“We reject INEC’s decision on the governorship election results from Tafawa Balewa local government area in Bauchi State, as signed and announced by the electoral body’s National Commissioner and chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye,” the party noted on Bauchi.
Similarly, the inconsistent decisions taken by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the last one week over the governorship election in Bauchi State is worrisome and capable of staining its credibility, Alliance for Defence of Democracy and Justice, has said.
INEC, on Friday night, formally set aside the cancellation of results of gubernatorial election in Tafawa Balewa Local Government in the state. The electoral body also approved Tuesday, March 19 for continuation of the collation in Tafawa Balewa LGA and correction of some errors in Ningi LGA before the final announcement of the winner.
Governor Mohammed Abubakar of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Bala Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are the two major contenders in the polls.
A statement by the civil society’s national convener Muntaqa Mudassir and communication director Istifanus Sarki said they were worried by the inconsistent decisions INEC took within one week. They said the “electoral body’s inconsistency is capable of eroding its independence, impartiality and credibility before the eyes of Nigerians, and Bauchi people in particular.
“We hold INEC in high esteem. But the event in the last one week in Bauchi state is giving us a source of concern. The INEC decision to declare the governorship elections inconclusive, to fixing a date for supplementary elections and now setting aside its two decisions is questionable and capable of eroding the remaining confidence Nigerians have on the electoral umpire,” the statement said.
The group, however, said the Governor Muhammad’s tenure had been remarkable in terms of execution of developmental projects that have direct bearing on the people of Bauchi state.
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