REC blames returning officer for delay in collation of Bauchi re-run result

Resident Eectoral Commissioner (REC) for Bauchi State, Ibrahim Abdullahi, has said the state Returning Officer, Muhammed Kyari, is responsible for the delay in collation of Saturday’s supplementary election in the state.

He said the absence of the state Returning Officer is hindering the collation, noting that collation officers for the 15 local government areas where the poll held were on ground but the exercise could not commence without Kyari.

He stated this at the state collation center in the state capital, on Saturday night.

According to Abdullahi, the returning officer for the election was on his way back to Bauchi from Yola in Adamawa State.

“Instead of sitting back in my office for the arrival of the returning officer who is on his way from Yola, I felt it is important to come and explain to you on why collation has not commenced.

“We have received all the results from the 15 local government areas but we were made to understand that the returning officer took off a bit late this evening… we have been seeing reports that INEC is plotting to change results. We are not an interested party in the outcome of the election. What is paramount for INEC is the processes and the procedure and not the outcome.

We want to assure that INEC is just and fair to all. So we have to be patient and continue to wait until the arrival of the returning officer,” he said.

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He refuted claims that the delay in collation of results was because the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was plotting to rig the exercise.

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