Disappearance of returning officer stalls coalition of Kebbi central election results

The National Independent Electoral Commission(INEC) has stopped the coalition of Kebbi central senatorial election results following the disappearance of the returning officer for Marafa ward, in Birnin Kebbi.

He was asked to step aside and reconcile some discrepancies in the result figures he brought to the collation centre when he disappeared and could not be traced since Sunday.

He went missing around 2 pm on Sunday afternoon and has been holding INEC officials at the coalition centre for ransom for about 17 hours without a trace of him.

The results in question are between Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu and Senator Muhammad Adamu Aliero. So far, results from seven local governments were collated out of the eight local governments that constitute Kebbi central senatorial district.

Political party agents at the collation centre have expressed worry over the development particularly as INEC is yet to decide on what to do about the situation.

A PDP chieftain, Alhaji Sani Dododo told journalists at the collation centre that they would have no other alternative than to raise alarm over the development if INEC refuses to do something within the next few minutes about the returning officer’s disappearance.

“We are just waiting for them to do something about it. If we waited a little more without anything from INEC and security officials here we would tell the world about what’s happening now”, he said.

When contacted, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barrister Ahmed Bello Mahmud said he would find out about development from Birnin Kebbi electoral officer to know the next line of action.

NT(T)