IPAC rejects Bauchi LGs poll, calls for fresh election

The Bauchi State chapter of Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has called for the cancellation of the just concluded local government elections over alleged false declaration of winners by the Bauchi State Independent Electoral Commission (BASIEC).

Chairman of IPAC, Alhaji Usman Isa, flanked by representatives of other political parties, stated this while addressing newsmen in Bauchi. The political parties also called for the sacking of the chairman and commissioners of the electoral body.

BASIEC had on Sunday declared the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winners of 20 chairmanship and 323 councillorship seats from the elections held on Saturday in the state.

The political parties said all the chairmanship and councillorship seats should be declared vacant and caretaker committees appointed to supervise the councils until fresh elections are conducted.

IPAC also asked that the official fees paid to the commission by the candidates, including campaign expenditures, should be refunded to the parties and candidates

“The purported local governments’ election of October 17, 2020, in Bauchi State, is an irony of democracy as the local government chairmen and councillors who were sworn in were selected and appointed by the minority rulers. This, in our view, if allowed to continue unabated, will sacrifice our democracy and pave the way for anarchy,” IPAC added.