PDP Cautions INEC Against Cancelling Already Declared Bauchi Election Results

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against cancelling or altering results already collated and declared in the Bauchi State governorship election.

The party specifically cautioned the commission, led by Professor Mahmood Yakubu, against extending the cancellation of results to 14 additional local government areas in the state.

The PDP said the political atmosphere in Bauchi remained tense and warned that any attempt to tamper with already announced results could further heighten tension.

According to the party, it had received information alleging that some senior INEC officials were being pressured to expand the cancellation of results beyond Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area.

The PDP alleged that there was a plan to increase the number of cancelled votes from about 70,000 to 184,555 by cancelling results from 230 polling units across 15 local government areas.

It claimed the alleged move was intended to create confusion and give the All Progressives Congress (APC) an advantage during the March 23 supplementary election.

The opposition party maintained that its governorship candidate, Senator Bala Mohammed, was already in a strong position to win the election and accused the APC of seeking additional cancellations because Tafawa Balewa was considered a PDP stronghold.

The PDP also claimed that it was in possession of a document allegedly obtained from the Bauchi INEC office which, according to the party, contained details of the proposed cancellations.

It further argued that the earlier cancellation of the Tafawa Balewa result was unjustified and alleged that the decision was intended to deny Bala Mohammed victory.

According to the PDP, Mohammed was leading by more than 4,000 votes after results from 19 local government areas had been collated and announced.

The party said that in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area, the PDP secured about 40,000 valid votes while the APC recorded about 29,000, which it claimed would have increased Mohammed’s overall lead to approximately 15,000 votes.

The PDP questioned the decision of the state Returning Officer, Professor Mohammed Kyari, to cancel the Tafawa Balewa result, noting that the local government Collation Officer, Dominion Anosike, had reportedly said there were no incidents of cancellation, violence or electoral malpractice at the polling unit and ward levels.

Although it rejected the cancellation of the Tafawa Balewa result, the PDP said it was prepared to participate in the March 23 supplementary election and expressed confidence that its candidate would perform strongly.

The party also vowed to oppose any attempt to alter results already declared in the other local government areas of the state.

It urged the INEC fact-finding committee investigating the Bauchi election to be guided by existing electoral laws and court decisions regarding the powers of the commission after polling-unit results have been declared.

The PDP maintained that once valid results had been announced and properly documented at polling units, they should not be altered without lawful justification.

The party finally urged the APC to accept what it described as its electoral setbacks in Bauchi and other states where governorship contests remained unresolved, including Sokoto, Benue, Plateau, Kano and Adamawa.

It called on INEC and all political actors to ensure that the remaining electoral processes were conducted transparently, peacefully and in accordance with the law.