The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that only two political parties field candidates in the Saturday’s bye-election for Toro Federal Constituency of Bauchi State.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Bauchi, Alhaji Ibrahim Abdullahi disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Toro Saturday.
He listed the two candidates as Mr Yusuf Nuhu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Alhaji Shehu Umar of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
He said that INEC had recruited 1,550 ad hoc staff to man 1,553 polling units in the 11 wards within the federal constituency.
He gave the assurance that the election would be free and fair.
NAN correspondent monitoring the polls reports that both electoral officials and election materials arrived early in all the polling units visited.
Alhaji Abdullahi Mohammed, Chairman, Coalition of 10 Political Parties in the state told NAN that they would support the APC during the polls.
NAN reports that Toro Federal Constituency seat became vacant when the member representing the constituency, Lawan Yahaya Gumau contested and won the Bauchi South Senate seat in a by-election election held on Aug. 11.
The by-election was held following the death of Senator Ali Wakili who represented Bauchi South in the senate. (NAN)