Gombe State All Progressives Congress (APC) have accused the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, for INEC, Kassim Geidam, of hiding under fear of attack by members of the extremist group, Boko Haram, to suspend the collation of results of presidential and National Assembly election which held last Saturday. Mr. Geidam had reportedly announced the suspension of result collation over the radio on Sunday, citing intelligence reports that the sect members are planning to attack the collation centre, which is the auditorium building at Federal Medical Centre, Gombe. APC however said the REC is conniving with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to deny former governor Danjuma Goje victory after initial results released showed that Goje was on the verge of being re-elected for a second term as a senator. APC said: "It is our believe that Independent National electoral Commission, INEC, PDP and some security operatives are conniving to ensure that all results collated will be made to favor PDP candidates so as to deny Senator Danjuma Goje and others who are emerging as winners." The party also condemned the decision to suspend collation of result "on the basis of mere rumour." Gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect had on Saturday attacked Nafada and Dukku local government areas killing eight persons including some poll officials. The gunmen also attacked three local governments in neighboring Bauchi State, including Alkaleri, Kirfi and Bauchi local governments. Governor Isa Yuguda had already imposed a 24 hour curfew on the three local governments, but like in Gombe, youth in Bauchi said the curfew was imposed to allow the ruling PDP rig the outcome of the election. They have therefore, reportedly defied the curfew and thronged to the gate of INEC office in the state to monitor the collation exercise. Goje's residence in his home town of Kashere was surrounded by soldiers on Saturday evening, restraining him and members of his family from venturing outside until 6:30 this morning. Goje informed National Mirror over the phone that his travails was as a result of his "coasting to victory", which he said "is likely to ruffle feathers". Efforts to reach Mr. Geidam were unsuccessful. Calls to his mobile line failed to connect and a text message sent to him was also not responded to at the time of publishing this.
