The All Progressives Congress in Bauchi State, has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission’s fact-finding Committee, sent to the state to probe the irregularities in the governorship election, of denying it fair hearing.
State Chairman of the party, Uba Nana also questioned the composition of the committee.
He claims the committee’s chairman is a close ally of the Speaker of the House of Reps, Yakubu Dogara of the People’s Democratic Party.
The election was initially declared ‘inconclusive’, but INEC recently announced that a new returning officer, will resume the collation of the results on Tuesday.
INEC announced on Friday night that a new returning officer will resume the collation of the Bauchi governorship election results on Tuesday. It also amended the result of four polling units in Ningi local government, from 25330 to 2533. The decision meant that the commission will announce the winner of the election thereafter.
“The fact-finding Committee chaired by Festus Okoye, the National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee denied fair hearing to APC as a political party whose agents were not invited during hearing of the facts leading to the cancellation of the Results of Tafawa Balewa LGA.
“Any decision taken in violation of fair hearing is illegal, null and void,” he said.
According to Nana, the composition of the Committee was also questionable as the Committee Chairman, Festus Okoye Esq, is a close ally and former solicitor to Hon. Yakubu Dogara of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP).
Nana stressed that no justice can be done by the Committee Chairman who is interested in the whole issues and the instant circumstances.
He pointed out that this was proved by the fact that PDP and Yakubu Dogara on Facebook pre-empted the outcome of the Committee’s finding before formal publication by Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
