The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will
conduct supplementary election on March
23 in Sokoto, Kano, Adamawa, Benue, Plateau and Bauchi states where the March 9
elections are deadlocked.
Festus Okoye, head of the commission’s information and voter
education committee, announced INEC’s decision on Tuesday in a statement.
“The Commission met today, 12th March 2019 and reviewed the
conduct of the 29 Governorship and 991 State constituency elections held on 9th
March 2019. In all, the Commission declared winners in the Governorship
elections in 22 states,” he said.
“However, the Returning Officers in Adamawa. Bauchi, Benue,
Kano, Plateau and Sokoto States declared the Governorship elections
inconclusive. Consequently. the Commission will conduct supplementary elections
on Saturday 23rd March 2019 to conclude the process. Supplementary elections
will also hold in polling units in all States where State Assembly elections
were declared inconclusive and winners could not be declared. Details of the
constituencies including number of polling units and registered voters, will be
published on our website tomorrow Wednesday 13th March 2019.
“The elections were declared inconclusive for a combination
of reasons, mainly the discontinuation of use of the Smart Card Readers midway
into the elections or the failure to deploy them, over-voting and widespread
disruption in many polling units.
“Furthermore, the
Commission has considered a Report submitted by the Resident Electoral
Commissioner for Bauchi State on the disruption of the collation at the Tafawa
Balewa LGA collation centre, which led to the cancellation of results for the
entire local government. The Commission found that there are issues that need
further investigation and has set up a team led by a National Commissioner to
resolve them.
