INEC files motion challenging court order stopping collation of results in Bauchi

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has filed a motion on notice, challenging the order of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that ordered it to stop the resumption of collation of the governorship result in Bauchi State

This was revealed by INEC’s National Commissioner, Information and Voter Education, Mr. Festus Okoye, adding that the motion it filed challenged the jurisdiction of the court in granting the order.

“The motion has not been taken. Until that motion is taken, the court order barring us from collating the result of Tafawa Balewa area subsists,” Okoye said.

It would be recalled that INEC had stopped the collation of the result it earlier fixed for Tuesday after Justice Inyang Ekwo issued the order following an ex parte application filed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Bauchi state Governor, Mohammed Abubakar.

“The Commission has already taken a decision. The order is from a properly constituted court of law, so we complied.

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“We have fully complied with the court order in relation to collation of the governorship election for Tafawa Balewa local government area,” he said

The electoral body had earlier fixed February 23 to conduct supplementary election in the state alongside five others but changed gear by announcing that it would continue collation of the result from Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area, the only LG where the result of the governorship election is outstanding.

The ruling APC and Governor Abubakar, trailing the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in the results so far announced, kicked, accusing INEC OF colluding with the opposition party.

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