INEC declares Nasarawa/Toto by-election inconclusive, orders rerun on June 1, 2016

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) earlier today declared the Saturday’s Nasarawa/Toto Federal Constituency bye-election inconclusive.

This was made known by the Constituency Returning Officer of the election, Dr Wilfred Uji  while announcing the outcome of the poll in Nasarawa, Nasarawa Local Government Area of the state on Sunday
Dr. Uji cited Section 53 of the Electoral Act which gives the commission the power to cancel election in polling units where there is over voting.

“For Nasarawa/Toto federal constituency, we have a total number of 202,338 registered voters for the election out of which 76,475 were accredited and the total vote cast was 75,826 and we have 74,848 valid votes and the rejected votes stand at 978.

“The cancelled votes taken from the vote cast stand at 39,150 and the four political parties that participated at the bye-election scored the following votes, APC scored 46,559; PDP scored 17,068; APGA 11,181 and Labour party (LP) got 40 votes.

“The marginal difference between the APC and PDP is 29,491, and the cancelled votes is 39,150, so the cancelled votes exceeded the marginal difference between APC and PDP as a result of over voting in some polling units of the constituency.

“Base on the relevant laws guiding the commission, we hereby order for a rerun in the affected polling units onWednesday, June 1 in order to get a winner and such decision has been taken in the interest of peace,” he said.

The Supervising Resident Electoral Commissioner for the election, Prof. Habu Zarma, who spoke to newsmen urged the stakeholders of the political parties to cooperate with the commission in order to have a peaceful rerun. “The rerun is just serve as a second chance for the electorate to choose a leader of their choice and we hope that a winner will be declared during the rerun election,” he said.

Others who reacted to INEC's were Alhaji Mohammed Musa and Mr Ayuba Wandai, the Sole Administrators of Nasarawa and Toto local government areas of the state, respectively. Both expressed optimism that APC will come victorious during the rerun election. 


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