Bauchi bye election: PDP cries foul

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the result of the last Saturday’s bye election for the Bauchi South senatorial seat released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) which declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Lawal Yahya Gumau winner. Addressing journalists yesterday in Bauchi, state Chairman of the party, Alhaji Hamza Akuyam alleged that the election was marred by votes buying by the state government officials in the open, votes cancellation by INEC as well as intimidation of the people by security agents among other irregularities. “The APC-led Government in the state openly lured citizens with cash for their votes, which were sold for anything between 100, 200, 500, 1000 and in some cases 5000 naira per vote”. “In some voting centres security officials chased away voters and agents even before voting process and counting were conducted”. He claimed. Aside that, the PDP chairman also lamented that INEC had allegedly cancelled over 80, 000 votes out of the 256, 763 votes cast in areas where their candidate was leading saying the party would challenge the outcome of the election at tribunal. “Examples from 4 local governments out of 7 were votes were cancelled are: Alkaleri, 16, 298, Bauchi, 15, 017, Tafawa Balewa, 18, 527, Bogoro, 10, 727”. He noted. In another Press briefing Bauchi State Governor Mohammed Abubakar athanked the electorates for voting the APC and challenged PDP to go to the election petition tribunal already established by the court of appeal if they had evidence that the government