The All Progressives Congress (APC) has consolidated its governing party status by retaining more states and winning news ones in last Saturday’s governorship and state assembly elections.
Results from states announced yesterday showed that the governing party won the gubernatorial polls in Cross River, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Sokoto and Nasarawa, just as it defeated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Benue, adding to its number of controlled states.
Trailing the APC behind is the PDP which also maintained its status as the main opposition party in Nigeria by retaining Delta, Rivers and reclaiming Plateau from the APC.
In Benue, a Catholic priest and candidate of the APC, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Lornem Alia, won the governorship election, polling majority of the votes cast across the 22 local government areas of the state.
Declaring the winner yesterday, the state Returning Officer of the election and the vice chancellor of Federal University of Technology Minna, Prof. Faruk Adamu Kuta, said having scored the highest total votes of 473, 933, Alia is winner of the gubernatorial election in Benue State.
The candidate of the PDP came second with a total score of 223,913, followed by the Labour Party (LP) candidate who scored 41, 881.
Our correspondent observed that the APC defeated the PDP with a margin of defeat of 251,020 and over 251,020 for other parties.
Speaking after he was declared winner, Alia promised to clear the backlog of salary arrears, pensions and gratuities, resettle IDPs in their ancestral homes, address persistent insecurity challenges and set the stage for a prosperous Benue”.
Alia said that God does not call the qualified, he only qualifies the called.
In Cross River, INEC also declared APC governorship candidate, Senator Prince Bassey Edet Otu, as winner of the governorship election in the state.
Declaring Otu as winner, returning officer for the state 2023 governorship election, Prof. Teddy Charles Adias, stated that Otu emerged winner after polling 258,619 against 179,636 scored by his closest rival.
The university don stated that figures for accredited voters stood at 466,249 for conduct of the election.
The coalition returning Officer for the election stressed that 1,766,466 voters were registered for the elections, while the accredited voters were 466,294.
The VC maintained that valid votes were 451,933, and votes cast was 460, 856, while the rejected Votes were 8,923.
In Sokoto, the governor-elect, Alhaji Ahmad Aliyu Sokoto, of the APC has promised to vigorously pursue his 9-point agenda to rejuvenate the state and its people.
The agenda, he said, is to improve and modernize the state healthcare program, education, local government autonomy, religion, social development, security, economy, Infrastructures, civil service reforms, skills acquisitions, empowerment, and revenue generation.
Addressing journalists shortly after he was declared as governor-elect, Aliyu also extended his appreciation to the teeming electorate in the state for their overwhelming support at the gubernatorial and state assembly elections held on Saturday.
He said, “my administration will listen to the yearnings and aspirations of the citizens with a view to meeting up the campaign promises.
“I will strengthen the civil service by making it more productive, and ensure payment is salaries, pension, and gratuity as at when due.”
In Ebonyi, the Speaker of the state House of Assembly and governorship Candidate of APC, Hon Francis Ogbonna Nwifuru, was declared winner of last Saturday’s governorship election in the state.
Declaring the result at the Independent National Electoral Commission state headquarters in Abakaliki, the State Returning Officer, Prof Charles Igwe said that Rt. Hon Nwifuru garnered 199,131 votes across the 13 local government areas of the state.
His closest challenger, Chief IfeanyiChukwuma Odii of the PDP scored 80,19, while the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Prof Bernard Odoh came third with 52,189 votes.
Though the Labour Party announced that the party does not have any candidate in the state, the party secured 6,793 votes to come fourth in the governorship race.
Igwe who is the Vice Chancellor, University of Nigeria Nsukka said that the number of registered voters in the 13 LGA stood at 1, 597,646, while the number of accredited voters was 350, 345.
Meanwhile, the agent of APGA, Senator Emmanuel Onwe described the election result as a sham and full of imperfection, adding that they will challenge the result in the Court of law.
Senator Onwe noted that the Resident Electoral Commissioner REC, Mrs. Onyeka Ugochi had alleged threat to her life, adding that she was forced into announcing the fictitious result.
Also, the Returning Officer of People’s Democratic Party PDP, Barr. Midi Erhenede also rejected the result and said that he will be taking the result to his principal, Chief IfeanyiChukwuma Odii for further action to be taken.
Reacting to his electoral victory, Nwifuru thanked God Almighty for crowning the effort of Ebonyi people with resounding success.
He maintained that the victory is a thoroughly deserved victory for Ebonyi people, for continuity and consolidation on the brilliant work of the present administration.
Borno State governor, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum, was also declared winner of the gubernatorial election held in the state.
The returning officer, Prof Jude Rabo, while announcing the final result, declared Governor Zulum as the winner of the election having polled 545,543 votes against PDP’s Mohammed Jajari, who came distant second with 82,147 votes.
Zulum defeated his closest rival with a difference of 463,396 votes.
“Babagana Umara Zulum of APC polled the highest votes of 545,543, with at least one quarter votes in all the 27 local government areas of the state.
“Having satisfied all the requirements of Law, Babagana Umara Zulum is hereby declared winner,” the returning officer declared.
LEADERSHIP reports that Zulum slugged it out with candidates of PDP, Mohammed Jajari, and the Labor Party candidate, Captain Ibrahim Mshelia Kadafir (rtd) and other contenders.
Meanwhile, the candidate of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Mohammed Mustapha, has threatened court action, calling on the INEC to cancel the election on the ground that his party’s name and logo were missing on the ballot paper.
Responding, the spokesman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Abba Liberty, said ,“I learnt that it is an issue of late submission of form. That is why INEC didn’t consider him as candidate”.
Meanwhile, Gombe State governor, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, has promised to run an all inclusive government in his second term to consolidate on the achievements recorded in the state in his first term.
He made the promise yesterday in an acceptance speech after he won his re-election bid announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the state.
The governor stated that the extraordinary outpouring of support and solidarity in the just concluded governorship election has reaffirmed his belief in the people’s determination ‘to choose the politics of development and progress over that of retrogression and blackmail’.
“Through the ballot box, you have made clear priorities and aspirations for Gombe State to continue on the path of progress, prosperity and all-inclusive development and governance.
“As in every electoral contest, there are bound to be winners and losers. But for me, there is no victor and no vanquished. If the ultimate objective of all political parties and contestants is about the peace, progress and development of Gombe State, it behooves all of them to support us in moving our dear State forward.
“On my part, I am ready to work with all stakeholders in running an all-inclusive government for the benefit of our people,” he said.
The governorship candidate of the APC, Senator Uba Sani, was also declared winner of the Kaduna State governorship election.
Hon. Isah Ashiru Kudan of the PDP trailed behind in the keenly contested election.
The collation of results from the 23 local government areas which commenced at about 2:20pm on Sunday and lasted till yesterday night raised a lot of apprehension before the winner was eventually announced.
In the final results declared by the Kaduna State governorship collation officer, Prof Lawal Suleiman Bilbis, said Senator Uba Sani of APC scored a total of 730,002 votes to beat his closest contender, PDP’s Isah Ashiru who polled 719196 votes to place second in the election.
The candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Hon. Jonathan Asake polled 58,283 votes to come third, while Senator Suleiman Othman Hunkuyi of the NNPP polled 21,405 to come fourth.
INEC also declared the Plateau State governorship candidate of the PDP, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang, winner of last Saturday’s governorship election, having won the majority of the votes cast across the 17 LGAs of the state.
Declaring the results of the governorship election at INEC state office, Miango Road, Kufang Jos, the returning officer and Deputy Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Lafia, Prof. Idris Amali said Mutfwang (PDP) scored a total of 525,299 to defeat his close rival, Nentawe Yilwatda, of the APC who scored 481,370 votes .
Our correspondent reports that the opposition PDP won in 10 LGAs, while the APC won in 7 LGAs.
Mutfwang said the trust given to him by the people of the state by electing him as their governor is not going to be taken for granted.
The governorship candidate of the PDP in Rivers State, Siminalaye Fubara, won in all the 23 local government areas of the state
Fubara, who hails from Opobo Town in Opobo/Nkoro local government area of the state defeated his APC and Social Democratic Party (SDP) counterparts, Tonye Cole and Magnus Ngei Abe, respectively.
INEC also declared the Speaker, Delta State House of Assembly, (DSHA), Hon Sheriff Oborovweri winner of the state 2023 governorship election.
Oborovweri, candidate of the PDP, emerged the winner having won the majority of the votes cast across the 25 local government areas of the state.
Declaring the winner yesterday, the Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Owunari Abraham Georgewill o f the University of Port-Harcourt, said Oborovweri scored a total of 360234 votes to get elected as governor of the state for the next four years.
But the Governorship candidate of APC, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has called on his supporters to be calm, saying that the party will prevail, adding that “INEC is a product of the law and it will follow the law.”
Governor of Bauchi state, Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, was reelected,
Mohammed extended hands of cooperation to his fellow contestants, especially the governorship candidate in the just concluded governorship and State Assembly election.
He attributed his re-election victory to the will of God and a collective struggle of the common man who placed the interest of the state above their personal ones.
In Kano, INEC declared the NNPP governorship candidate, Abba Kabir Yusuf, winner of the governorship election in the state.
Abba, popularly known as Abba Gida Gida polled a total of 1, 019, 602 votes, defeating the incumbent deputy governor, Nasiru Yusuf Gawuna of APC who scored 890, 705 votes, followed by Muhammad Sani Abacha of the PDP with 15, 957 votes.
Abba was announced winner at 7:07 am on Monday morning, almost 17 hours after the collation exercise commenced.
