Paul Orude Bauchi
The All Progressive Congress in Bauchi State has rejected the results of the local government election in the state.
the State Independent Electoral Commission, BASIEC, returned all candidates of the ruling People’s Democratic Party winner of the 20 local government Chairmanship and 323 councillorship seats.
The state chairman of APC Alhaji Ubah Nana disclosed while addressing newsmen at the party secretariat on Sunday.
”We reject in totality the purported results and declaration of winners of the Local Government Elections as effected by PDP and BASIEC on 17th October 2020,” Nana said
The party alleged that security personnel were used by the PDP and the BASIEC in making false declaration of winners, disassociating itself from termed “broad- day light robbery of the peoples mandate”
It vowed that it shall within the confines of the law strive to restore the said mandate at the appropriate time.
”Any person sworn in to office based on the unlawful PDP/BASIEC results shall be occupying the seat illegally and without the support of his peoples,” Nana said
”We shall be reluctant to engage in a futile exercise of submitting ourselves to the jurisdiction of the Local Government Election Tribunal inaugurated in Bauchi on 13th October 2020, as we may not get the justice we demand from the members as presently constituted”
”It’s important to stress that we have no confidence in the composition of the said Tribunal and thus, we may not file any petition to avoid an exercise in futility. This is for the simple reasons that:
”Two of the chairmen and some members of the Local Government Election Tribunal are partisan politicians who constantly identify with the ruling party, PDP, in Bauchi state. For instance, some of them are certified PDP members and they have handled several election petitions for the party, particularly, in the 2019 National and State Assembly Election Tribunal in the State.
” In addition, these lawyers are constantly involved in political activities at the instant of the ruling PDP in Bauchi State. Their appointment as members and chairmen of the election Tribunal is clearly in breach of section 59 (1) & (2) of the Bauchi State Electoral Law, 2008”
Meanwhile, the state chairman of the PDP, Alh. Hamza Akuyam while reacting to the allegations by APC in a phone interview with our Correspondent said the party can seek redress in court if it wants.
“The APC was in government in the last four years and couldn’t conduct a local government election Besides we did not disqualify. Let me give you a brief history, the electoral committee of BASIEC ( Bauchi State Independent Electoral Commission) was constituted by the previous APC administration. If they have any problem with the election, let them go to the Tribunal,” he said.
‘The police they claim is being used to intimidate their supporters and members is been controlled by the Federal Government and the FG is controlled by APC so can how we use them as mechanism for rigging”
