By Muhammed Shaeed
All People Congress, APC has fumed over the Local Government election that was held yesterday in Bauchi. The ruling People’s Democratic Party won all 20 Local Government chairmanship seats in the Saturday, August 17, Local Government elections.
Ahmed Makama, the Executive Chairman of the Bauchi State Independent Electoral Commission announced the results last night at his office, following the conclusion of the exercise.
The results were however, rejected by the APC, describing the process as a ‘robbery’.
During a press conference on Saturday, the APC legal adviser in the state, Barrister Rabiu Garba, criticised the election, alleging it was a political manoeuvre by the PDP-led administration in Bauchi State.
He fumed, “As we rightly pointed
out yesterday, BASIEC had no intention of conducting a free, fair, and credible election. What we witnessed today in all 20 Local Government Areas was a deceptive drama and a mockery of innocent voters and politicians.
“The so-called election was marred by numerous irregularities, including inadequate election materials, withheld sensitive materials and result sheets, votes allocated to the PDP, absence of Returning Officers to officially declare results, abandonment of election materials at polling units by fleeing electoral officers, and non-conduct of elections in most polling units across Bauchi State.”
The APC demanded immediate resignation of the Ahmad Makama as Chairman of the Commission, accusing him of failing to uphold his Oath of Office. The party also called on BASIEC to cancel the local government elections purportedly conducted on 17th August 2024 in Bauchi State and urged the Bauchi State Government to dissolve the current management of the Electoral Commission and reconstitute a credible team to conduct fresh elections that would be free, fair, credible, and in line with international best practices.