PDP Tells INEC: No Bauchi Rerun Without Tafawa Balewa Result

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has written to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, urging the commission not to proceed with the planned supplementary election in Bauchi State until the controversy surrounding the governorship election result from Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area is resolved.

In a letter dated March 21, 2019, the PDP argued that INEC could not properly determine the margin of lead between the two leading governorship candidates without first collating and announcing the Tafawa Balewa result.

The letter was signed by PDP National Chairman Uche Secondus and National Secretary Umaru Tsauri.

According to the party, the margin between the leading candidate and the runner-up must be established before INEC can determine whether the number of cancelled votes is sufficient to justify a supplementary election.

PDP governorship candidate Bala Mohammed was leading based on the results already announced at the time.

The party noted that INEC had indicated its intention to conduct supplementary elections in areas not affected by a court order which stopped further collation of the Tafawa Balewa governorship result.

The PDP recalled that its Bauchi State chapter had earlier written to the state Resident Electoral Commissioner on March 13 requesting details of the polling units where supplementary elections were planned.

The party said it specifically requested the names and locations of the affected polling units as well as the number of Permanent Voter Cards issued in each area.

It complained that INEC had not provided the requested information.

The PDP also referred to an announcement by the Bauchi Resident Electoral Commissioner that a court order had stopped the collation of the Tafawa Balewa result, while supplementary elections in some cancelled polling units were still scheduled for March 23.

The opposition party argued that such a process would be premature because collation from all 20 local government areas in the state had not been completed.

According to the PDP, INEC’s regulations and guidelines require the commission to first determine the margin of lead between the two leading candidates after all available results have been collated before deciding whether a supplementary election is necessary.

The party maintained that since the Tafawa Balewa result remained outstanding, INEC could not accurately establish the margin between the leading governorship candidates.

It therefore argued that there was no proper basis for conducting supplementary elections in the affected polling units until the outstanding result had been conclusively addressed.

The PDP consequently demanded the immediate suspension of the March 23 supplementary election until collation of the Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area result had been completed.

It also asked INEC to respond to its letter without delay, maintaining that the electoral process should follow the commission’s own regulations and the provisions of the Electoral Act.