INEC disowns Zamfara guber results announced on radio

BY BEN AGANDE
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has declared as illegal the announcement of election results in Zamfara State by a radio station, saying the commission had not declared the results of the election in the state.

In a statement in Abuja, chairman of the commission, Prof. Attahiru Jega, urged members of the public to disregard the announcement.

The statement, signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the chairman of the commission, Mr Kayode Idowu reads:  “The attention of INEC has been drawn to an announcement of the Zamfara State governorship election results by a local radio station in the state, even when official results had not yet been declared at the Collation Centre.

“This announcement, for the avoidance of doubt, was unauthorized and illegal. As a matter of fact, the Commission has warned the radio station’s authorities to desist from causing needless tension in the polity.”

“The public is hereby advised to ignore the unauthorized radio announcement and await a formal declaration of the results by the INEC Returning Officer, who is the only one statutorily empowered to make such declaration.

“The Commission, once again, implores media organizations to keep within the provisions of the law regarding the declaration of election results” he said