Absence of the Returning Officer in charge of Bauchi State governorship election, Prof. Mohammed Kyari, is delaying the announcement of the outcome of the re-run elections in the state.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that as of 7am on Sunday, Kyari, who is the Vice Chancellor of Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola, was yet to arrive Bauchi.
His absence has caused apprehension among people of the state, who are suspecting some ‘foul play’, but the state INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ibrahim Abdullahi, said there was no cause for alarm.
Addressing party agents, observers and journalists in the early hours of Sunday, Abdullahi assured them that the mandate of the people was intact.
He said that results from all the 36 polling units in the 15 Local Government Areas where the re-run elections took place, had been received and that what was left was for the Returning Officer to arrive and announce the outcome.
Abdullahi said that he had communicated with Mohammed and that by today (Sunday), the result would be announced.
He urged the people of the state to disregard comments on social media that had been insinuating grand plans to change the result.