2019: Dogara supporters, parties protest attempt to relocate collation centre

Speaker of the House, Hon Yakubu Dogara

Following the release of the guidelines for the conduct of the 2019 general elections which have not gone well with some political parties and politicians, supporters of Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara have joined in the protest by objecting to the attempt by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to relocate the collation center for the Bogoro/ Dass/Tafawa -Balewa Federal Constituency from Zwall in Tafawa-Balewa LGA to Dass in Dass LGA.

The protesters against the relocation of the collation center included political Stakeholders of all the Political Parties that have presented candidates for the Dass/Tafawa Balewa/Bogoro Federal constituency in the forth coming general elections.

While presenting the Protest letter to the REC of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Bauchi State Office on behalf of the collation of Political Parties that are contesting for the Dass/Tafawa Balewa/Bogoro Federal Constituency, Honourable Isa Babayo, Tilde Zonal Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bauchi South said that, “we want INEC to sustain the continuity not to relocate the collation center from Zwall to Dass in the best interest of peace, just and fairness to all in the area.”

He further said that the Federal constituency was established for the three local Government Areas of Dass , Tafawa-Balewa and Bogoro in 1979, the headquarters of Tafawa Balewa was moved to Bununu in 2013 but collation center remained in Tafawa Balewa in 2015. There was an attempt to relocate the collation center to Dajin due to the crisis that bedevilled the area but there was fierce resistance from the Political stakeholders which opposed it in writing and led to several meetings by INEC, security agencies and stakeholders and at end of the meetings it was resolved amicably to collate election result in Zwall.

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A onetime member of the National Assembly, Honourable Dauda Garba Bundot said that, “initially the collation center was once moved from Tafawa Balewa to Zwall in the best interest of Peace during the Isa Yuguda administration, adding that when Isa Yuguda attempted to relocate the collation center to his farm, Yakubu Dogara took the case to court and the court ordered them to settle the matter a meeting of all stakeholders was held, they said both Yuguda and Dogara should be patient while collation will leave Tafawa Balewa where Dogara wanted it to remain, and Yuguda should be patient it will not be cited at the place he want but it will be cited at the center which was Zwall that’s how they settled the matter in 2015.”

He added that when Dogara went to court, he obtained a court order on 25 March, 2013 before Justice ES Chukwu of the Federal High Court, Abuja which restrained INEC and the then Governor Isa Yuguda filed a suit in Bauchi Federal High Court and asked the court to relocate the collation center to Dajin the resolution of the suit by the Political stakeholders led to the discontinuation of the suit by the State Government.

While receiving the written letter of complaint on behalf of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Head of Public Enlightenment and Public Affairs Officer of the Electoral body, Mohammed Yahaya Salihu said the Electoral body will look into their complaint and will be fair to all according to the laws guiding their operations.

Grace Abejide