The Independent National Electoral Commissioner has declared Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress the governor-elect of Kogi State, following yesterday’s conclusion of the governorship election declared inconclusive on November 22.
The Returning Officer, Immanuel Kucha, declared Mr. Bello winner at 5.26 AM on Sunday, ending a collation exercsise that started 11.06pm on Saturday.
Saturday’s Supplementary election held in 91 polling units across 18 local government areas on Saturday.
The supplementary poll did not hold only in three local government area, namely Mopa, Ogori Magogo and Yagba East.
The election was declared inconclusive after the margin of win between PDP and APC was less than the number of registered voters in the 91 polling units where election was cancelled.
According to the results declared by Mr. Kucha, Vice Chancellor, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, the APC garnered 6,885 votes in the supplementary election, bringing the total votes it received to 247,752, having polled 240,857 in the November 21 election.
The second runner up, the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate, Idris Wada, who is the incumbent governor, scored 5,363 in the supplementary election.
Thus, PDP polled a total of 204, 877 votes, having had 199,514 at the November 21 election.
“That Yahaya Bello of the APC, having satisfied the requirement of the law and scored the majority is hereby decakred winner,” Mr. Kucha said.
Mr. Bello, 40, emerged APC candidate for the supplementary election, after the demise of Abubakar Audu on November 22. The deceased won the APC primary election, with Mr. Bello was first runner-up.
A total of 1,379,971 voters were registered for the election but only 526,389 were accredited.
After the merger of the substantive and the supplementary elections, Mr. Kucha announced the total number of valid votes to be 472,983; rejected votes as 21740; and total votes cast as 494723.
A total of 3,342 votes were cancelled.
The supplementary election was generally peaceful and calm, albeit characterised by low turnout of voters.
However, in few places like Etiaja junction, Anyingba ward, Dekina LGA, Olla ward in Ijumu LGA, Akpanyo and Ayah wards in Ibaji LGA, and Kupa Northeast, election was cancelled due to various reasons, including violence, snatching of election materials and over-voting.
Meanwhile, the National Electoral Commissioner, supervising the Kogi election, Amina Zakari, stated that Abiodun Faleke could not withdraw himself as the deputy givernorship candidate of APC.
Ms. Zakari said this before the commencement of collation of results of the supplementary election.
She was reacting to a question by PDP agent, Joe Agada, who called attention to Mr. Faleke’s withdrawal letter to INEC.
Ms. Zakari, a former acting chairperson of INEC, said Mr. Faleke was “the name provided by the party.”
“Candidate’s letter is not enough to withdraw himself,” she said.
She, however, advised the PDP agent to seek redress in court.
The breakdown of the results of the supplementary election is as follows:
Okene LGA (one pollung unit)
RV 676
AV 217
APC 208
PDP 02
Okehi LGA (one polling unit)
RV 403
AV 110
APC 108
PDP 0
Kogi Kotokarfe (two polling units across two wards)
RV 1689
AV 738
APC 406
PDP 281
Idah LGA (one polling unit)
RV 310
AV 141
APC 62
PDP 70
Yagba West LGA (one polling unit)
RV 375
AV 165
APC 86
PDP 73
Adavi LGA (five polling units across five wards)
RV 2166
AV 931
APC 878
PDP 12
Igalamela/Odolu LGA (three polling units across three wards)
RV 1501
AV 558
APC 92
PDP 431
(Result signed by only the agent of PDP).
Kabba-Bunu LGA (four polling units across three wards)
RV 1767
AV 375
APC 201
PDP 131
Ajaokuta LGA (three polling units across three wards)
RV 1411
AV 567
APC 538
PDP 12
Olamaboro LGA (four polling units across four wards)
RV 2047
AV 555
APC 167
PDP 332
Omala LGA (six polling units across six wards)
RV 2526
AV 799
APC 317
PDP 323
(Election cancelled at the polling 005 in Olla ward due to violence and destruction of election materials, the Collation Officer said).
Ijumu LGA (one polling unit)
RV 705
AV 205
APC 86
PDP 102
Ankpa LGA (nine polling units across six wards)
RV 6022
AV 1339
APC 562
PDP 629
Bassa LGA (two polling units across two wards
RV 742
AV 340
APC 221
PDP 114
Ibaji LGA (six polling units across five wards)
RV 2678
AV 745
APC 369
PDP 220
(Election cancelled in two polling units at Akpanyo and Ayah wards, affecting 710 voters, due to over voting and violence respectively).
Ofu LGA (eight polling units across four wards)
RV 4677
AV 1132
APC 105
APGA 440
PDP 484
(Even with APGA’s surprise feat, it had no agent present to sign the results as only PDP and APC agents did).
Lokoja LGA (five polling units across two wards)
RV 2854
AV 833
APC 301
PDP 145
(There was a case of cancellation at Kupa North East due to violence).
Dekina LGA (29 polling units across 7 wards)
RV 17,558
AV 4991
APC 2178
PDP 1999
(Election was cancelled at Etiaja junction 11 polling unit, affecting 1307 voters, due to violence).
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