A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has stopped the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from collating the figures from the electoral exercise conducted in Bauchi state on March 9, 2019.
The ruling was issued on Tuesday by Justice Ekwo Ejembi who gave the judgment on a suit filed regarding the matter.
Meanwhile the collation exercise was scheduled to continue on Tuesday in order to wrap up the exercise.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) and its governorship candidate in the state, incumbent Governor Mohammed Abubakar, had filed a suit challenging the commission on the validity of the collation exercise, which was scheduled to continue today.
The situation is emerging barely 24 hours after Abubakar’s visit to President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja.
Abubakar however got the president support over his decision to go to court.
INEC halts collation of results for Tafawa-Balewa
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Bauchi state has halted the collation of results for the governorship election held March 9, 2019 for Tafawa-Balewa local government area of the state.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ibrahim Abdullahi told newsmen in Bauchi on Tuesday that the decision was as a result of a court order received by the commission retraining it from collation and subsequent announcement of Tafawa Balewa LG governorship results.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is in receipt of a court order restraining it from proceeding with the collation and announcement of results in respect of Tafawa Balewa governorship only.
“I must also add that the order which was sought and granted by the court does not include the Tafawa Balewa state constituency.
“For this reason, we are going to make arrangement to continue with the state constituency collation and subsequently announce the result,” said the commissioner.
Abdullahi added: “What is also going to continue is the scheduled 23rd March election that affects the canceled election in other local government areas.”
The REC called on the people to remain calm and law abiding, adding that INEC would do the right thing by announcing the true winner of the race.
INEC on March 15 approved the resumption of collation and conclusion of results of Tafawa-Balewa Local Government Area in relation to governorship election using available existing duplicate and original results from Registration Areas.
