Political parties, stakeholders, oppose relocation of collation centre by INEC

COALLITION of Chairmen and secretaries of some political parties that are fielding candidates to contest for the House of Representative seat of Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa Federal Constituency in Bauchi State have jointly opposed the move by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to relocate the collation centre of the area from Zwall in Tafawa Balewa LGA to Dass in Dass LGA.

The opposition to the move was contained in a letter jointly signed by the Chairmen and Secretaries of opposition PDP, SDP, PRP, APP, PDM, CAP, NNPP and GPN in the three Local Government Areas titled “Position of Stakeholders and Political Parties on the Proposal to move the Collation Center for Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa Federal Constituency by INEC” which copies were distributed to reporters in Bauchi on Sunday.

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Party leaders contesting the election in the area unanimously stated that the electoral body held a stakeholders consultative meeting in the three local government areas and all party leaders present at the meeting strongly rejected the proposal tabled by INEC to move the constituency Collation Center in Tafawa Balewa Local Government area to Dass or any other Place.

They stated that Zwall was chosen as the new collation centre in March 2015, few days to the 2015 general elections on the recommendations of the Federal Government for security reasons and the Federal High court in Abuja ordered on March 23, 2015 that the Collation Center should remain in Zwall and any attempt by the electoral body to move the collation center will contradict the subsisting judgement of the court and could constitute a contempt of court.

The Party leaders and stakeholders further stated that collation centre should remain in Zwall because Zwall is on the Federal Highway, it is central and easily accessible from all the three LGA’s, and it is a peaceful place that has not witness any crisis, and described the advise to relocate the centre as ill-advised, premeditated by INEC which is supposed to be neutral and unbiased umpire.

They alleged that “INEC want to convene a surreptitious meeting in its office in Bauchi of so-called stakeholders any time soon, where only a handful of people would be invited granted access and will be made to sign a prepared document endorsing the proposal”

Party leaders said they only want a free, fair and credible election in the area and appeal to the electoral body not to allow itself to be used to cause crisis with this hidden agenda since the area has witnessed unprecedented peace in the last four years.

It will be recalled that last week supporters of Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and some Party leaders from Dass/Bogoro/Tafawa Balewa Federal Constituency presented a protest letter opposing the attempt by INEC to relocate the collation center and the Electoral body pledged to be neutral and will addressed their grievances accordingly.