INEC fixes date for Taraba supplementary elections

The independent National Electoral Commission on Wednesday announced February 20, 2016 to hold supplementary elections in one federal and two state constituencies in Taraba State.
INEC’s Administrative Secretary in the state, Alhaji Mohammed Umar, announced the date at a stakeholder’s meeting in Jalingo.
Umar said elections would hold in Kurmi/Gashaka /Sardauna Federal Constituency as well as Ardo Kola and Mbamga State Constituencies.
According him, only registered voters with Permanent Voter Cards would vote in the elections.
Umar, who said the commission had commenced preparations for the elections, disclosed that only the commission’s staff and corps members would be used for the elections.
Alhaji Hassan Ardo, the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress in the state, said many potential voters in his local government had been disenfranchised “because their PVCs were handed over to wrong persons”.
Ardo urged INEC to trace and retrieve the PVCs and hand them over to the rightful owners before the supplementary polls for justice and peace.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Shaba Alkali, said the command was making adequate security arrangements for the smooth conduct of the elections.
Alkali warned that anyone caught in act capable of disturbing the smooth conduct of the process before, during and after the elections would be apprehended.
The Appeal Court in Yola had at various dates in December 2015 annulled the election of Dan-Asabe Hosea (PDP) as Member representing Kurmi/Gashaka and Sardauna Federal Constituency.
The court ordered supplementary election in 19 polling units.
The court also annulled the election of the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Abel Diah of the PDP, and ordered re-run election in eight polling units.
The court ordered same in Ardo Kola State Constituency, where Emmanuel Dame, also of the PDP, was asked to vacate his seat pending the outcome of the supplementary election in 11 polling units.
NAN.