Zamfara State Bye-Election Declared Inconclusive, Two Ad-hoc Staff Missing

*As PDP leads

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Saturday’s State Constituency bye-election held in Bakura Local Government Area of Zamfara State inconclusive.

The Returning Officer for the Bakura State Constituency Bye-Election 2020, Prof Ibrahim Magawata, said the decision followed the cancellation of results of 14 polling units in Bakura ward with 11,429 votes.

Magawata announced that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Bello Dankande Gamji scored 16,464 votes while Alhaji Ibrahim Tudu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) got 18,645 votes.

According to the Returning Officer, a new date will be fixed for the conclusion of the bye-election.

As at the time of filing this report two ad hoc staff declared missing by INEC are still missing.

Prof Magawata further said that results from 14 polling units were cancelled due to over-voting.

He also said that some polling units scored zero due to ballot box snatching, violence, assault on INEC officials and burning of election materials by thugs.

According to him, the cancellation of the 14 Polling Units affected 11,429 voters which is higher than the margin announced and so declared the election inconclusive.

Meanwhile, the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is expected to brief the media on the development and the next line of action.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that tension was high in Bakura some days to the election leading to the deployment of more security personnel.

There were also accusations and counter-accusations especially on rigging and intimidation between the former state governor, Alhaji Abdulaziz Yari (APC) and Gov Bello Matawalle (PDP).

The development created conflict among the supporters of the two political parties.