INEC fixes date for supplementary election in Kano, Benue, Adamawa, Bauchi, others

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INEC fixes date for supplementary election in Kano, Benue, Adamawa, Bauchi, others

By Steve Oko

The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has fixed March 23 as date for supplementary elections in states where the results of the polls were cancelled due to violence or malpractices.

INEC arrived at the decision after its meeting Tuesday in Abuja.

This was disclosed in a statement by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye ,Tuesday evening.

The statement said INEC met and reviewed the conduct of the 29 Governorship and 991 State constituency elections held on 9th March 2019.

“In all, the Commission had declared winners in the Governorship elections in 22 states. ‘However, the Returning Officers in Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Kano, Plateau and Sokoto States declared the Governorship elections inconclusive.

“Consequently, the Commission will conduct supplementary elections on Saturday 23rd March 2019 to conclude the process.

“Supplementary elections will also hold in polling units in all States where State Assembly elections were declared inconclusive and winners could not be declared.

” Details of the constituencies including number of polling units and registered voters, will be published on our website tomorrow Wednesday 13th March 2019″, he declared.

The statement said the elections were declared inconclusive for a combination of reasons, mainly the discontinuation of use of the Smart Card Readers midway into the elections or the failure to deploy them, over-voting and widespread disruption in many polling units.

“In compliance with the Margin of Lead Principle derived from Sections 26 and 53 ofthe Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) and paragraph 41(e) and 43(b) of the INEC Regulations and Guidelines for the conduct of elections, the outcome of these elections could not be determined without conducting polls in the affected polling units. Hence the Commission’s decision to conduct supplementary elections in line with this principle.

“Furthermore, the Commission has considered a Report submitted by the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Bauchi State on the disruption of the collation at the Tafawa Balewa LGA collation centre, which led to the cancellation of results for the entire local government. The Commission found that there are issues that need further investigation and has set up a team led by a National Commissioner to resolve them”, he added.”

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Steve Oko, Publisher/C.E.O, WaWa News Global. For more information on advert placement and news coverage, contact us on: 08038725600, or via email stevemanofgod2000@yahoo.com; wawanewsglobal@gmail.com Always read WaWa News Global - Your most dependable online news platform for the latest breaking news in Nigeria.