PAUL ORUDE BAUCHI

The Independent National Electoral Commission has released the schedule for the rerun of the gubernatorial election in Bauchi State slated for Saturday, March 23, 2019.

The schedule indicated that the re-run will hold in 36 polling units in 29 registration areas (wards) scattered across 15 of the 20 local government areas of the state.

A total of 22, 641 registered voters are expected to participate in the exercise.

Recall that the Returning Officer in Bauchi State, Prof. Kyari Mohammed, on Monday, March 11, 2019, declared the governorship election in the state inconclusive.

The People’s Democratic Party, Sen. Bala Mohammed got 469, 512 votes to lead his closest rival, the incumbent Governor, Mohammed Abubakar of the All Progressives Congress, who got 465, 453 votes.

Kyari said that because the slim margin of lead between the two candidates (4, 059) votes, having earlier cancelled the entire votes from Tafawa Balewa local government area which were put at 139, 240, a winner could not be announced.

Kyari said that the number of cancelled votes in the elections even without that of Tafawa Balewa LGA is 45, 312 was huge. He, therefore, declared that based on Section 26 (53) of the Electoral Act, the election in Bauchi State was inconclusive, and directed INEC to conduct re-run elections in the affected LGAs within 21 days.

But an investigative committee led by the National Commissioner, Information and Voter Education, sent from the INEC headquarters, Festus Okoye, during its three-day assignment in the state, discovered that the cancelled votes in Ningi LGA were 2, 533 and not 25, 330 during the collation.

The INEC headquarters, following the recommendation of the Okoye-led committee, directed that the error of the 22, 797 cancelled votes in the LGA be corrected and deducted from the 45, 240 votes earlier announced.

The breakdown of the areas affected and the number of registered voters are as follows:

Alkaleri -1 ward – 1 – PU – 1,190 reg. voters

Bogoro – 1 ward – 1 – PU – 1,130 reg. voters

Darazo – 3 wards- 4 PUs – 2,746 reg. voters

Dass    – 1 ward  – 1 PU –   872    reg. voters

Gamawa 1 ward – 1 PU –   405   reg. voters

Ganjuwa 2wards -2PUs – 1,306 reg. voters

Giade – 4 wards – 4PUs -1, 899  reg. voters

Itas Gadau 1ward-3PUs – 2,252 reg. voters

Jama’are 2wards – 2PUs – 829 reg. voters

Katagum 2 wards -3PUs – 2,055 reg. voters

Kirfi    –  2 wards  2PUs – 1,111 reg. voters

Misau  – 1 ward – 1 PU  – 1, 007 reg. voters

Ningi  –  4 wards – 5PUs – 2, 533 reg. voters

Shira –  1 ward –  1 PU  –  438 reg. voters

Toro  – 3 wards – 4PUs – 2, 868 reg. voters