PDP’s Aduda Emerges Winner of FCT Senatorial Election

The senatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, Sen. Philip Aduda has been declared winner of Saturday’s senatorial election.
Aduda won in all the six Area Councils in the territory.

Declaring the results on Monday evening, the Returning Officer, Prof. Sani Saka, said that Aduda scored a total of 263,055 votes across all the area councils to emerge winner.

The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Jisalo Zephaniah, scored 148,401 to emerge second while the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Mr Johnson Somadina, came third with a total of 2,509 votes.

Earlier, the Collation Officer for the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Prof. Muhammed Ndagi of the University of Abuja, said that Aduda scored 127,567 votes to defeat the closest contestant and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Jasilo Zephaniah, who got 61,692 votes.

Ndagi, however, said that there were cases of over voting in Polling Unit 005, Gwarimpa Primary School and Polling Unit 007, Kado Housing Estate, which led to the cancellation of elections in the units.

He blamed the situation on the use of manual accreditation to solve incidents of failure of smart card readers to recognise some voters.

The Bwari Area Council Collation Officer, Prof. Simon Kawe of the University of Abuja, while making his presentation said that the area had a total of 230,269 registered voters.

He said that the total number of accredited voter were 84,541 and that the total valid votes cast was 77,700 as 2,697 votes were rejected.

Aduda of the PDP scored 51,797 votes to beat the closest contestant and candidate of the APC, Mr Jisalo Zephania, who got 22,775 votes.

The candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Mr Johnson Somadina, scored 749 votes.

Also, the Kuje Area Council Collation Officer, Prof. Tony Onyishi of the Federal University Abuja, in his presentation, said that the total number of voters in the area was 122,051 and that accredited voters was 44,562.

He said that the total votes cast was 42,604 and that the total valid votes was 41,407 while a total of 1,197 votes were rejected.

He said that Aduda of the PDP scored 25,190 votes to defeat all the other contestants while Zephaniah of the APC scored 15,441 to emerge second position in the contest.

Earlier on Sunday, February 24, 2019, the Collation Officer in Abaji Area Council, reported that Aduda got 11,290 votes to beat Zephania who got 11,276 votes.

In Kwali Area Council, the Collation Officer reported that the PDP candidate got 17,642 to beat the APC candidate who got 14,899 votes.

Also in Gwagwalada Area Council, Aduda of the PDP was reported to have beaten Zephaniah having scored 29,567 to defeat the APC candidate who got 22,318 votes. (NAN)