The All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected the governorship election results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Bauchi State over alleged irregularities.
The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, in a statement asked the INEC to probe incidents of overvoting, BVAS compromise and widespread violence during the governorship election in the state.
Governor Bala Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was declared the winner of the 18 March governorship election in Bauchi.
The INEC said Mr Mohammed polled 525,280 votes while the APC candidate, Sadique Abubakar, of the APC, polled 432,272 votes.
The Returning Officer, Abdulkarim Mohammed, a professor at the Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State, announced the results on Monday.
But the APC said the process was marred by irregularities.
“With indisputable cases of over-voting, massive electoral fraud, thuggery, harassment, intimidation, and widespread despicable violence that marred the Bauchi State Governorship election.
“The All Progressives Congress (APC) calls stridently on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to expeditiously investigate reports that its Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) was compromised in many voting units and cancel invented results of affected polling units in the state.
“Specifically, in Alkaleri, Kirfi, Toro, Warji, Ningi and Zaki Local Government Areas of Bauchi State which recorded widespread violence, over voting and massive rigging against the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Candidate, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (Rtd.).
“It is perplexing that inexplicable massive figures were invented in polling units in which voting didn’t take place, and in which results were never collated.
“Extensive cancellations of polling units results in APC Candidate’s strongholds were made without valid justification, except to depress his vote count and give undue advantage to the PDP candidate, the incumbent Governor, Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, the APC said.
The APC also accused the ruling People’s Democratic Party of violently chasing some of its agents out of some polling units.
“Specifically in Alkaleri LGA, APC polling units’ Agents were chased away by Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) thugs who took control of affected polling units and thumb-printed ballot papers without BVAS accreditation, and results were gratuitously awarded and written up without voting, as mandated by law.
“The bogus “result” in the same Alkaleri LGA with recorded and verifiable over-voting, and in which INEC’s returning officer was molested and threatened at gunpoint to sign the “result” sheet was irregularly collated and used in the declaration of the final result of the election in the state, the APC said.
“In one of the many brazen cases recorded by polling unit agents, a reportedly serving PDP Commissioner in the state was captured buying votes in the open and full glare of cameras, citizens, and assisted by security officials that bore a constitutional duty to arrest and take the criminal into custody for further investigation and prosecution.
“The APC rejects the invented election figures and INEC’s declaration of the Governor-elect in Bauchi State, and calls on INEC to cancel the election in the afore-mentioned LGAs that were characterized by over-voting, destruction of electoral materials, harassment, intimidation, and widespread violence and other irregularities in line with its power to review the declaration of the result within 7 days under Section 65 of the Electoral Act, the APC added. (Premium Times)
