The Independent National Electoral Commission has returned Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the Kogi State governorship election.
INEC declared Bello as the winner of the election after the APC polled 6,885 votes in Saturday’s supplementary election to take its total votes to 247,754.
The figure was 42,877 votes higher than the 204.877 votes secured by incumbent governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Capt. Idris Wada. Wada got 5,363 votes in the supplementary election.
The Returning Officer of the election, Prof. Emmanuel Kucha, said Bello had satisfied the requirement of the law and scored majority votes.
Saturday’s supplementary election, which was held without any major hitch had become necessary after INEC declared the November 21 governorship election inconclusive due to the cancellation of voting in 91 units across 18 local government areas of the state.
INEC said the number of registered voters in the 91 polling units was higher than the lead the APC had on the PDP.
In the first round of the election, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Abubakar Audu, led Wada with over 41,000 votes.
The APC had picked Bello as its governorship candidate after the Independent Electoral Commission authorised it to replace Audu, who died on November 22 – a day after representing the party in the initial election.
Audu’s sudden death had left INEC in a dilemma as both the Electoral Act and the Constitution were silent on what should happen in such a scenario.
It, however, fixed December 5 for the supplementary after consultation with experts and the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami.
Lawyers had differed on the way forward. While some felt Audu’s running mate, Mr. James Faleke, should become the governorship candidate, some others suggested fresh elections might be needed.
The decision of the APC to pick Bello, the runner-up in the party’s governorship primaries, was challenged in court by both Faleke and incumbent governor, Capt. Idris Wada.
However, the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Friday directed the aggrieved parties to direct their complaints to the election petitions tribunal, paving way for today’s supplementary election in the state.
Contrary to expectations of violence, the supplementary election took place without any major hitch.
In Ajaokuta, voters trooped out as early as 8am for accreditation, which lasted till 1pm when voting started. At the time of filing this report, there had been no major report of violence.
Electoral materials had been moved to Dekina in Dekina Local Government Area, where the incumbent governor, Capt. Wada Idris, is from, under tight security as early 8am.
Although suspected hoodlums had on Friday morning burnt down INEC’s area office in Dekina, there was a large turnout for the election.
Other polling Units where there was impressive turnout were Okpo polling unit in Olamaboro LGA; Angwa polling unit in Ankpa LGA; and Bagana polling unit in Omala LGA, among others.
Generally, the election was held in a calm atmosphere with security personnel at various polling units visited.
Residents of the state, who were not affected by the cancellation of votes, went about their normal business, particularly in the state capital.
A police helicopter was seen hovering around major cities including Lokoja, the state capital.
When contacted, the Police Public Relation Officer in the state, Mr. Ovye William, said there had been no incidence of violence anywhere in the state.
He said, “I have been in the central control room where we are monitoring every unit concerned and we have not received any report of any violence of any kind.”
He said no arrest had been made in connection with the burning of the INEC Area office in Dekina, but that investigation is on to track down the hoodlums.
The Punch
