The collation of election results of Kebbi central senatorial district has been suspended as the returning officer for Marafa ward, in Birnin Kebbi has disappeared.
The returning officer ran away when he was asked to step aside and reconcile the differences noted in the results he submitted.
He was asked to step aside and reconcile some discrepancies in the result figures he brought to the collation centre when he disappeared and could not be traced since Sunday.
He disappeared at 2 pm on Sunday afternoon and has been holding INEC officials at the coalition centre for ransom for about 17 hours without a trace of him.
The results in question are between Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu and Senator Muhammad Adamu Aliero. So far, results from seven local governments had been collated out of the eight local governments that constitute Kebbi central senatorial district.
Various party agents at the collation centre expressed worry over the development particularly as INEC was yet to decide on what to do about the situation.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Barrister Ahmed Bello Mahmud said he would find out about development from Birnin Kebbi’s electoral officer to know the next line of action.