John Adams, Minna
The Returning Officer for Tafa Local Government Area in the Saturday Council election in Niger state has been declared missing, the State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC) has confirmed.
It could be recalled that the elections for Mashegu and Tafa were declared inconclusive by the state Independent Electoral Commission.
The commission’s chairman, Alhaji Aminu Bala had told newsmen in Minna on Sunday that the poll outcome for the two Councils was been awaited.
However, the chairman disclosed on Monday that the whereabouts of the Returning Officer who is supposed to be the custodian of the results is unknown since the poll was concluded on Saturday.
He however ruled the possibility that the returning officer has been kidnapped.
“As at today, we still don’t know the whereabouts of the Returning Officer for Tafa Local Government so the reliability of the outcome of election there is no longer tenable. We therefore have no option than to cancel the poll in that Council,” he explained.
According to him, the commission has lodged a formal complaint with the police to help locate the missing officer.
He also confirmed receiving a petition from the State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Barrister Tanko Beji over the out come of election in Tafa local government.
According to him “the PDP had written to the commission to complain about the election but as it is now the commission has suspended the election in Tafa.
“This is because we don’t want to set the state on fire. Tafa is very important to us as a state.
“We will appoint another Returning Officer to Tafa the announce the results.”
The PDP in the letter claimed it won the election going by the results from various polling units and wards.
Meanwhile, the commission has declared All Progressives Congress (APC) as winner for the Mashegu local government area.
According to the chairman, APC’s Alhassan Maza Kuka emerged winner having polled 32,849 to defeat PDP’s 30,387.