The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), yesterday, sustained its winning streak in more states of the federation, retaining Kaduna, Borno, Nasarawa, Cross River, Ebonyi, and Niger, while recovering Benue State from the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
But APC lost to New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Kano State, a critical northern state.
In addition, PDP reclaimed Plateau State from the ruling party, while also keeping Bauchi, Delta, and Taraba states within the political family.
However, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), suspended collation of results in Abia and Enugu states, citing different crises. At the same time, INEC declared the election in Adamawa State inconclusive, after a tense and tight race between the ruling PDP's Governor Ahmad Fintiri and the opposition APC's Aisha Dahiru Ahmed-Binani.
PDP raised the alarm over alleged plans by the INEC leadership and APC to manipulate results of the governorship election in Taraba State. But the suspicion vanished, when the commission declared PDP's Agbu Kefas as winner of the election.
Yet, there were protests by some political parties and their candidates following the controversial outcomes of some of the governorship elections across many states. Most of the aggrieved parties alleged malpractices and conspiracy to edge them out.
On the flip side, some of the defeated candidates demonstrated good sportsmanship by calling their victorious opponents to congratulate them. They included Teslim Folarin of APC in Oyo State and Great Ogboru of All Progressives Grans Alliance (APGA) in Delta State.
The governorship elections held on March 18 in 28 states were almost done yesterday, with results already announced in 22 states. Of the 22 states, APC won 14 states, while PDP had seven, and NNPP one.
KADUNA STATE
The candidate of APC in Kaduna State, Senator Uba Sani, was declared winner of Saturday's governorship election in the state. He polled 730,002 votes to defeat the candidate of PDP, Isah Asharu, who scored 719,196 votes.
Although the announcement was delayed after agents of other parties pointed out disparities in the figures, the returning officer, Professor Lawal Bilbis, went ahead to announce Sani winner of the election.
BORNO STATE
Borno State Governor and candidate of APC, Professor Babagana Zulum, was declared winner of the governorship election.
Announcing the results of the election, Professor Jude Rabo said the APC candidate polled a total of 545,542 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Muhammed Jajeri of PDP, who secured 82,147 votes.
Rabo, in announcing the governor as returned re-elected, said, "Babagana Zulum of APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes in the election is hereby declared the winner and returned elected."
KANO STATE
The governorship candidate of NNPP, Abba Kabir Yusuf, won the Kano gubernatorial election, after polling 1,019,602 votes to defeat the incumbent deputy governor of the state and candidate of APC, Dr. Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna.
Returning Officer, Professor Ahmad Doko Ibrahim, announced the total registered voters as 5,921,370 and accredited voters as 2,032,955. He said APC scored 890,705 votes, while NNPP had 1,019,602, and PDP polled 15,957. Ibrahim said the total valid votes was 1,977,872 and rejected 27,092, while the total votes cast was 2,400,964.
The announcement of the result of the election ignited wild jubilation across the state, even as Kano State Government imposed a dawn to dusk curfew to avoid a breakdown of law and order following tensions generated from the collation of results.
BENUE STATE
The governorship candidate of APC in Benue State, Reverend Father Hyacinth Alia, was declared by INEC as winner of the March 18 governorship election. Alia polled 473,933 votes to defeat his closest rival and PDP candidate, Titus Uba, who scored 223,913.
Returning Office, Professor Faruq Kuta, who is Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, announced the results.
Alia won the election with one local government area left, where election was to be held on Tuesday. The election for Kwande Local Government Area was postponed to Tuesday following errors in INEC documents for the election.
However Alia was declared winner, as his scores were far higher than the entire expected votes from Kwande.
Meanwhile, the police in Makurdi arrested some persons engaged in violence during the elections.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), CSP Sewuese Anene, said 26 suspects were arrested across the state for various offences, including political thuggery/illegal possession of firearms, snatching of ballot boxes, and intimidation of voters.
RIVERS STATE
The PDP governorship candidate, Siminaliayi Fubara, was declared Rivers State governor-elect after winning all 23 local government areas and polling a total of 302,614 votes. His closest rival and candidate of APC, Tonye Cole, scored 95,274, while the candidate of Social Democratic Party (SDP), Magnus Abe, had 46,981.
Collation Officer, Professor Akpofure Rim-Rukeh, announced the results and declared Fubara winner and governor-elect, saying he has satisfied all requirements.
NIGER STATE
The APC candidate in Niger State, Alhaji Umar Mohammed Bago, was declared winner of the governorship election in the state.
Bago, a member of the House of Representatives, polled 469,896 votes to defeat his closet challenger, Alhaji Isah Liman Kantigi of PDP with 387,476 votes.
The Labour Party (LP) candidate, Mr Joshua Bawa, recorded 3,415 votes, while the NNPP candidate, Alhaji Ibrahim Sokodeke, garnered 3,378 votes.
The returning officer, Professor Clement Allawa, who is Deputy Vice Chancellor, University of Abuja, announced the results.
EBONYI STATE
INEC, yesterday, declared the candidate of APC, Mr Francis Nwifuru, as winner of the Ebonyi State governorship election.
Returning Officer and Vice Chancellor of University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Professor Charles Igwe, announced that Nwifure scored 199,131 votes to defeat his closest challenger and candidate of PDP, Mr Ifeanyi Odii, who polled 80,191 votes.
The candidate of APGA, Professor Ben Odoh, came a distant third position with 52,189 votes.
Meanwhile, Odoh and his PDP counterpart, Odii, vowed to review the results of the election.
In their separate statements, Odoh noted that he was saddened by the numerous reports of loss of lives, damage to property and injury to voters and citizens recorded all over the state.
The PDP candidate expressed confidence that his promise of possibility remained strong as be would seek legal means to reclaim his mandate.
BAUCHI STATE
Bauchi State Governor, Bala Abdukadir Mohammed, was re-elected after winning 15 of the 20 local government councils in the state, and scoring 525,280 votes. His closed rival, Air Marshall Sadique Abubakar of APC, scored 432,272 votes, while Senator Jika Haliru of NNPP got 60,496 to place third.
The margin between PDP and APC was 93,003 votes.
Returning Officer and Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Dutse, Professor Abdulaziz Sabo Mohammed, announced the results.
CROSS RIVER STATE
The governorship candidate of APC in Cross River State, Bassey Edet Otu, was declared winner of the March 18 governorship election in the state.
Returning Officer, Professor Teddy Charles of the Federal University, Otuoke, who made the announcement, said the APC candidate polled 258, 619 votes to emerge winner of the election.
Charles said Otu's closest rival and candidate of PDP, Senator Sandy Onor, polled 179, 636 votes to come second.
The votes recorded by other parties were as follows: AA: 405; ADC: 1620; ADP: 902; APP: 340; LP: 5, 957; NRM: 441; PRP: 3,052; SDP: 628; YPP: 333.
The returning officer said the number of registered voters in the state stood at 1,766, 466; and total number of accredited voters was 466,294.
PLATEAU STATE
PDP reclaimed Plateau State, which it had lost to APC in 2015, after its candidate, Caleb Mutfwang, defeated Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda of APC.
Returning Officer, Professor Idris Amali, said Mutfwang polled a total of 525,299votes to beat Yilwatda, who scored 481,370 votes, while Dr. Patrick Dakum of Labour Party (LP) came third with 60,310 votes.
Mutfwang won in 10 local government areas, namely, Barkin Ladi, Bassa, Langtang North, Mikang, Langtang South, Riyom, Mangu, Jos South, Bokkos, QuanPan, while Yiltwada won in seven: Jos East, Kanke, Pankshin, Shendam, Wase, Kanam, and Jos North.
NASARAWA STATE
Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, was re-elected governor of the state
Although the governor and his deputy, Emmanuel Akabe, had both lost their Akwanga and Doma local government areas to the opposition PDP, Sule won in seven of the 13 council areas, scoring a total of 347,209 votes.
His closest rival, Dr. David Ombugadu of PDP, scored a total of 283,016 votes. The margin of victory was 46,228 votes.
ABIA STATE
INEC, yesterday, prolonged the suspense surrounding the final result of the March 18 governorship election in Abia State, after it suspended collation.
Collation Officer for Abia, Professor Nnenna Oti, who is also Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), announced the suspension of result collation and declaration of final results.
Oti attributed the suspension to a directive from the INEC headquarters to halt further collation of results due to the controversy surrounding the results from Obingwa local government.
A letter to that effect signed by the INEC Secretary, Mrs. Rose Omoa Oriaran-Anthony, was read by the Abia INEC Administrative Secretary, Mr. Clement Oha, to the hearing of everybody at the State Collation Centre, Umuahia.
INEC said in the letter that its office in Obingwa was on Sunday, March 19, 2023 invaded by thugs during the collation of results, thereby disrupting the exercise. The commission said a team of investigators would arrive in Umuahia on today to review the Obingwa issue and take a final decision before the conclusion of collation and declaration of the governorship poll results in Abia.
ENUGU STATE
INEC also suspended further collation of the governorship election results in Enugu State.
The commission, however, assured the people that a review would be undertaken immediately before the process was concluded.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, in a statement, said the commission took the decision after its meeting held yesterday, to review the exercise.
"Arising from the meeting, the commission took the decision to suspend forthwith further collation of the governorship election results in some parts of Abia and Enugu states," he said.
Okoye said reports from Enugu State called for a review of the results for the governorship election from the two outstanding local government areas of Nsukka and Nkanu East.
Meanwhile, Campaign Council of PDP in Enugu State disagreed with INEC over its decision to suspend the announcement of the final results and declaration of Dr. Peter Mbah as winner of the Enugu State governorship contest. The council stressed that the election management body was overreaching itself, as it could not, by law, suspend the declaration of an already collated result.
PDP equally said INEC was wrong to present the Abia and Enugu cases as the same.
The party stated these at a press conference addressed by the spokesperson of the Enugu State PDP Campaign Council, Nana Ogbodo.
ADAMAWA STATE
INEC, yesterday, declared the governorship election in Adamawa State as inconclusive.
The candidate of APC in the state, Senator Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed-Binani, scored 390, 275 votes, while the incumbent, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, the PDP candidate, polled 421,524 votes.
But INEC declared the election inconclusive due to the margin of votes.
Meanwhile, APC alleged that Fintiri unleashed heavily armed thugs on the people to disrupt collation of results and subvert the will of Adamawa people, as expressed at the polls, due to his imminent defeat.
APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, in a statement, yesterday, said the election results showed a clear and decisive victory for the APC candidate.
Likewise, the presidential candidate of PDP and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, condemned INEC's delay in announcing the results of the Saturday governorship elections in Adamawa State.
Atiku, alongside Fintiri at a world press conference in Yola, said the commission's delay was already causing tension and apprehension in the state.
The former vice president said despite the fact that the results so far announced showed that PDP was winning, there was no reason why INEC should keep delaying the results.
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"Last night, I called the INEC chairman on phone to appeal to them, to announce Adamawa governorship results without further delay for benefits of peace," Atiku said. He warned that further delay might throw the state into a serious crisis.
TARABA STATE
The uncertainty that surrounded the outcome of the governorship election in Taraba State was finally cleared in the early hours of today, when INEC declared the gubernatorial candidate of PDP, Agbu Kefas, as winner of the election.
The delay in announcing the results had stoked fear in PDP, which raised the alarm over a alleged plot by INEC to alter the result of the gubernatorial election in the state.
Declaring the winner of the election on Tuesday, about 12:25am, the returning officer, Professor Mohammed Abdulazeez of the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, stated that Kefas polled 257,926 votes to defeat Professor Sani Yahaya of NNPP, who polled 202,277 votes, while the candidate of APC, Senator Emmanuel Bwacha, got 142,502 votes.
Kefas won 11 out of the 16 local government areas in the state, while the NNPP and APC candidates won in three and two local government areas, respectively.
Publicity Secretary of the party, Andeta'rang Iramea, had raised the alarm and lamented the commission's delay in announcing the result even when all the results from the 16 local government areas had arrived the commission's office.
Iramae, who was in company with other PDP stakeholders, including Eric U.J Yohana, accused the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Alhaji Umar Muktar Gajiram, and Returning Officer, Prof Muhammed Ahmed Abdulazeez, of colluding with the NNPP candidate to alter the result of the election.
Iramae insisted that INEC had no reason to continue delaying the declaration of the results, which according to them was already public knowledge based on the results on the INEC IRev portal. He warned that any attempt to alter the results would be a dangerous invitation to anarchy.
DELTA STATE
The governorship candidate of PDP in Delta State, Sheriff Oborevwori, was declared winner of Saturday's gubernatorial election in the state.
Oborevwori polled 360, 234 votes to beat his closest rival and candidate of APC, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, who scored 240,229. The LP candidate, Ken Pela, polled 48,047 votes.
Returning Officer, Professor Georgewill Owuneri Abraham, announced the result at the INEC headquarters in Asaba, saying, "The PDP candidate, having met the requirement of the law, is hereby declared the winner and returned as governor-elect."
Meanwhile, Omo-Agege, last night, rejected the result of the election. He alleged that the poll was marred by irregularities perpetuated by PDP against the wishes of Deltans.
According to a statement by Omo-Agege's Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Sunny Areh, the APC governorship candidate vowed to challenge the outcome of the exercise in court.
The governorship candidate of APGA, Chief Great Ogboru, conceded defeat. Ogboru said he was satisfied with the outcomes of the elections, and congratulated Oborevwori.
He also pledged to work with the incoming government in the state to ensure Oborevwori's administration did not fail.
