APC rejects Bauchi governorship election results, alleges rigging

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has rejected the results of the governorship election announced by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Bauchi State, alleging irregularities.

The National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Felix Morka, in a statement on Monday, called on INEC to investigate allegations of overvoting, BVAS compromise and widespread violence during the governorship election in the state.

Governor Bala Mohammed of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was declared the winner of the March 18 governorship election in Bauchi on Monday.

INEC said Mr. Mohammed had 525,280 votes while APC candidate Sadique Abubakar polled 432,272 votes.

The Returning Officer, Abdulkarim Mohammed, a professor at the Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State, announced the results on Monday.

But the APC said the process was marred by illegality which saw the PDP candidate declared the winner.

The APC said, “With indisputable cases of electoral rigging, massive electoral fraud, hooliganism, harassment, intimidation and widespread despicable violence marring the Bauchi State Governorship election.

“The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to urgently investigate reports that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) was compromised in several electoral units and annul the results generated from the affected polling units in the country.

“Specifically, in Alkaleri, Kirfi, Toro, Warji, Ningi and Zaki Local Government of Bauchi State that recorded widespread violence, through voting and mass rigging against the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Candidate, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar (Rtd.) .

“It is confusing that inexplicable big figures are created in polling units where there is no voting, and the results are never collated.

“Extensive cancellation of polling units resulted in the stronghold of APC Candidates being created without legal justification, except to reduce the number of votes and give undue advantage to the PDP candidate, the incumbent governor, Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed.”

The opposition APC in the state also accused the ruling PDP of using violence to expel its agents in some polling units during the conduct of the governorship election.

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“Especially in Alkaleri LGA, APC polling unit agents were expelled by the thugs of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who controlled the affected polling units and thumb printed ballot papers without BVAS accreditation, and the results were awarded and written for free without voting, as mandated by law .

The fake “results” in Alkaleri LGA which is similar to recorded and verifiable over-voting, and where INEC returning officers were harassed and threatened at gunpoint to mark the “results” sheets were irregularly collected and used in the declaration of the final results. from the elections in the state,” APC said.

It added, “In one of the many brazen cases recorded by the agents of the polling unit, who is reported to be a PDP Commissioner in the state was caught buying votes on camera, citizens, and assisted by security officers who have a constitutional duty to arrest and take criminals into custody for further investigation and prosecution.

“APC rejects the fabricated election figures and INEC’s declaration on the Governor-elect in Bauchi State, and calls on INEC to cancel the elections in the above mentioned LGAs characterized by over-voting, destruction of election materials, harassment, intimidation, and widespread violence. and other offenses relevant to his power to review the declaration of results within 7 days under section 65 of the Election Act.