Following the order of a Federal High Court, Abuja stopping the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from proceeding with the collation and declaration of the result of the Bauchi State governorship election held on March 9, 2019, the commission has vowed to take steps to vacate the order.
As a result, it has filed an objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the ex-parte application filed by the Bauchi State Governor Mohammed Abubakar and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state to stop INEC from the collation and declaration of result.
INEC had earlier fixed March 23, 2019 for the conduct of supplementary elections to conclude the process and make a rerurn in the governorship elections in Adamawa, Sokoto, Bsuchi, Benue, Kano and Plateau States which were declared inconclusive.
Although, the commission later reversed itself on Bauchi State as it approved the resumption and conclusion of the collation of results of Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area, after the committee set up by the commission established that the result in polling units and registration areas are available and in safe custody.
The committee also established that the number of cancelled votes for the four polling units in Ningi Local Government Area, which was recorded as 25,330 in form EC40G (1) was incorrect, as the actual figure is 2,533.
But Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja had on Tuesday stopped INEC from proceeding with the collation, conclusion and announcement of the result of the governorship election in Bauchi State.
The order issued on the strength of an ex parte application filed by the APC and the incumbent Governor of Bauchi State Abubakar shall however last till the determination of the suit brought before the court by the two plaintiffs.
The development came barely 48 hours after Abubakar visited President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja, during which the president had supported the governor’s decision to go to court.