INEC to proceed with supplematary poll in Bauchi

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says the supplementary governorship election scheduled for Saturday in Bauchi state will still hold.

Festus Okoye, chairman of the information and voter education committee, disclosed this while addressing a press conference in Abuja on Thursday.

Mohammed Kyari, the returning officer of the election had declared the poll inconclusive after the number of cancelled votes exceeded the margin of victory between the two leading candidates.

While 45,312 votes were announced to have been cancelled, Bala Mohammed, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was leading with a margin of 4,059 votes.

Okoye said the court order that directed the commission to suspend collation in the last LGA in the state did not affect the supplementary election.

The commission had fixed Tuesday to conclude collation of results from Tafawa Balewa LGA but a federal high court in Abuja issued an order stopping the process pending the determination of a suit brought by Mohammed Abubakar, governor of the state.

Okoye also said 22,641 registered voters are expected to participate in the exercise.

He said the re-run will hold in 29 wards across 15 of the 20 LGAs in the state.