#TrackNigeria: The Governorship, National and State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal in Bauchi State has fixed Monday to commence pre-hearing conference into petitions filed before it.
In a statement, Alhaji Bello Abdullahi, Secretary to the tribunal, said that 31 petitions would be heard by the tribunal.
“We have four petitions for the governorship, 12 petitions for the state assembly, seven petitions for the senate and eight petitions for the house of representatives, to be heard” Abdullahi said.
The petitions included those separately filed by three Political Parties challenging the election of Sen. Bala Mohammed of the People’s democratic Party (PDP), as governor-elect.
The parties are the Action Peoples Party (APP), Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) and All Progressive Congress (PDP).
Mohammed polled 515,113 votes to defeat his closest rivals the outgoing Governor of the state, Mohammed Abubakar of the (APC) who scored 500,325 votes.
The three parties are seeking the tribunal to nullify the declaration of Mohammed by the electoral body as the winner of the Just concluded election due to alleged noncompliance with the Electoral Act 2010 as amended.
The APP in its petition, alleged that it fielded Alhaji Gumi Umaru and Sani Umaru as Governorship and deputy Governorship candidate respectively but discovered on election day that the two candidates were excluded in the ballot papers.
The Party explained that it initially submitted the name of one Kabiru Isiyaku as its governorship candidate but who later turned down the nomination and was substituted with Gumi but the electoral unlawfully excluded its candidate.
The party is, therefore, urging the tribunal to nullify the entire election and order for fresh election to enable their candidates be accommodated.
The Peoples Democratic Movement (PDM) in its petition said the electoral body excluded names of its candidates, logo of the party in the ballot papers , election materials and all other documents used during the governorship election in the State.
It, therefore, asking the tribunal to nullify the entire election and order for fresh election to enable its candidate, Ahmed Iliyasu who met all requirements spilled out by the electoral body participate.
The outgoing State Governor, Mohammed Abubakar and APC in their petition, refused to concede defeat, alleging wide spread irregularities and saying he hoped the checks on disputed ballots of Bogoro, Bauchi and Tafawa Balewa Councils would overturn the results in his favour.
Abubakar complained about other expects of the elections including how results in the three councils were tallied which culminated in the final scores in forms EC8E where former FCT minister was declared winner was in correct.
He, therefore, want the tribunal to declare him as winner of the election or as a consequence to order for conduct of fresh election for the office of the governor in the affected areas. (NAN)
