BAUCH STATE RESULTS SAGA-   The investigative panel set up by the Independent National Electoral Commission over the non-declaration of results of the Tafawa Balewa Local Government during the Bauchi State governorship poll will submit its report on Friday (today)

 A top member of the committee, who confided in one of our correspondents on Thursday, said the panel arrived in Bauchi on Wednesday and held meetings with the state INEC officers.

The member stated, “The members of the committee arrived Bauchi yesterday (Wednesday) and had a marathon meeting. We will most likely submit the report to the commission tomorrow (today, Friday) if the commission is sitting.”

When asked to give the recommendations of the panel, the source said, “I can’t even tell you anything on the issue (recommendations); have concluded our assignment in Bauchi and we are reporting back to the commission.”

When contacted, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, said the commission would issue a statement on the Bauchi issue soon.

He said, “I don’t have the power to say anything, it is the commission that will take any decision.”

INEC had on Tuesday said it would hold supplementary governorship elections in Adamawa, Sokoto, Benue, Bauchi Plateau and Kano states.

The commission has yet to declare the results of the governorship election in Bauchi State because of the crisis at the collation centre of the Tafawa Balewa Local Government.

But INEC had declared the results of 19 Local Government Areas out of the 20 in the state.  The ruling All Progressives Congress is behind the opposition Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate, Bala Muhammed, with 4,059 votes.

The APC candidate and the governor, Mohammed Abubakar scored 465,453 votes against the PDP’s 469,512 votes.

The commission on Tuesday said it had set up a panel to investigate the crisis over the non-declaration of the results of the Tafawa Balewa Local Government.

Okoye in a statement said the commission having considered a report sent by the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Bauchi State, decided to further investigate the cancellation of the results from Tafawa Balewa LGA of the state.

The state’s Returning Officer, Mohammed Kyari, had rejected the results of the local government because the collation centre was disrupted by thugs.

The collation officer for the local government,  Dominion Anosike, had said that the thugs snatched the original results sheet.