INEC Declares Nasarawa Bye-Election Inconclusive; Rerun Holds June 1

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Monday, May 30th, 2016

NASARAWA, NIGERIA (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Sequel to over voting, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cancelled bye-election into the Nasarawa/Toto Federal constituency of Nasarawa State.

INEC Returning Officer, Dr. Wilfred Uji, who made the announcement in Nasarawa area Council Sunday, indicated that the decision was in pursuant of section 53 of the Electoral Act, which gives the commission the power to cancel election in polling units where there is over voting.

Dr. Uji, an academia from the Federal University, Lafia, disclosed that the constituency has a total number of 202,338 registered voters for the election. Of the figure, he explained a total of 76,475 voters were accredited; total votes cast, 75,826;total valid votes, 74,848 and 978 invalid votes.

He announced that the cancelled votes taken from the vote cast was 39,150, adding that the four political parties which participated in the bye-election included: APC, 46,559; PDP, 17,068; APGA 11,181 and Labour party (LP) 40 votes.

He explained that the cancelled votes exceeded the marginal difference between the winner, APC and the first runners PDP following over voting in some polling units of the constituency.

“Based on the relevant laws guiding the commission, we hereby order for a rerun in the affected polling units on Wednesday, June 1 in order to get a winner and such decision has been taken in the interest of peace”, Dr. Uji declared.

In the meantime, stakeholders in the State, in particular, the political parties have been urged to cooperate with the Commission in order to have a peaceful rerun.

INEC Supervising Resident Electoral Commissioner the bye-election, Prof. Habu Zarma, made the call after the cancellation of the Saturday exercise.

Professor Zarma assured that the rerun was to serve as a second chance for the electorates to choose a leader of their choice and we hope that a winner will be declared during the rerun election,” Zarma said.