The All Progressives Congress, APC, has described as illegal, the decision of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, against the plan to hold a supplementary election in BauchI State over the governorship tussle.
Bauchi was one of the six states INEC resolved to hold a supplementary election to resolve the problems that occurred in the course of the electoral process.
But shortly after, INEC exempted Bauchi State from the supplementary election, saying that it had found out that election had been concluded in the state and there were copies of results.
The fact finding committee set up by INEC on the case was headed by the National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye.
But reacting to the decision of INEC, APC faulted the constitution of the panel, saying Okoye was inappropriate as chairman judging by his relationship with the Speaker of the House of Representativess, Yakubu Dogara who is from Bauchi State and in Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of APC, Mr. Lanre Issa-Onilu, the party accused the committee of being prejudicial in its decision.
Said Issa-Onilu: “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.
“While the close relationship between Festus Okoye who chaired the fact-finding committee and Yakubu Dogara of the PDP is well known, hence inappropriate for the fact-finding exercise for Bauchi state, INEC has failed to adhere to the fundamental principle of fair-hearing by not inviting our agents during the hearing to ascertain the circumstances leading to the cancellation of the Tafawa Balewa local government election result.
“INEC’s decision is illegal as the electoral body and contravenes the provisions of the electoral act 2010 as amended.”
