PDP, APC trade words over INEC decision in Bauchi

The APC and the PDP in Bauchi State have traded blames over the declaration of the state governorship election inconclusive by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The two political parties at separate press conferences accused the other of being the cause of the incident that led to the rejection of the results of Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area which later culminated into the decision taken by the electoral body.

PDP State chairman, Alhaji Hamza Koshe Akuyam, while addressing journalists, yesterday, said the decision of the Returning Officer, Professor Mohammed Kyari, was unwarranted and illegal.

“The Bauchi State Returning Officer lacks the legal competence to cancel an election duly conducted by various Presiding Officers and validly collated at Ward and Local Government level devoid of any opposition by any political party,” Akuyam said.

The PDP accused the ruling APC administration in the state of allegedly conniving with the police to intimidate its members and opposition parties.

But at another briefing, the State APC chairman, Alhaji Uba Ahmad Nana, dismissed the PDP allegations, saying that the PDP engineered the crisis which led to the cancellation of the Tafawa Balewa LG results and the subsequent declaration of the elections as inconclusive.

Nana said PDP had already perfected plans to rig the elections because of their desperation to get power by all means.

He further alleged that PDP sent thugs to the collation area to disrupt the process, take the collation officer and force her to declare the results under duress.