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Upset in Kwara as Saraki Loses Seat
- Dogara leads in Bauchi
By Hammed Shittu in Ilorin and Yinka Kolawole Osogbo
The first major upset in last Saturday’s National Assembly election emerged yesterday with the defeat of the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, who contested on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), by former majority leader in the state House of Assembly, Dr. Ibrahim Oloriegbe, of All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, however, made it back to his seat as he prevailed in Bauchi State.
He was declared the winner of the Bogoro/Dass/Tafawa Balewa Federal Constituency last night by the Returning Officer in Zwall Collation Centre, Prof. Ahmed Abdulhamid, in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of the state.
Dogara, who contested the election on the platform of the PDP, polled 73,609 votes to defeat his closest rival of the APC, Abubakar Abdullahi, who scored 50,078.
The Returning Officer for Kwara Central senatorial district, Prof. Olawole Olatunbosun, from University of Ilorin, who announced the result in Ilorin, said Saraki’s 68,994 votes could not take him back to Abuja because Oloriegbe polled more votes with 123,808.
Olatunbosun added that the APC candidate won all the four local governments that made up the senatorial district, namely Ilorin West, Ilorin East, Ilorin South and Asa local government council areas of the state.
The PDP also lost out in the Kwara South senatorial district poll.
The incumbent, Senator Rafiu Ibrahim, was defeated by the APC’s Lola Ashiru.
The Returning Officer, Prof. Sylvia Malom, while declaring the result at the Irepodun Local Government Secretariat in Omu-Aran, said Ashiru polled 89, 704 to emerge winner. Ibrahim, he said, polled 45, 176 votes.
Osun State
In Osun Sate, INEC declared Mr. Bashiru Ajibola of APC as winner of Osun Central Senatorial District with 132, 821 votes, beating PDP’s Mr. Ganiyu Abayomi with 106, 779 votes.
The commission also declared Mr. Amobi Akintola of the APP the winner of Iwo/Ayedire Olaoluwa Federal Constituency.
It also declared APC’s Fakeye winner of Ila/Ifedayo/Boluwaduro Federal Constituency.
The Returning Officer, Prof. Rufus Adedoyin, from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife declared Amobi winner having polled 29,229 votes against the PDP candidate, Mr. Mudashiru Lukman, who came second with a total vote of 21,608. Adiat Olaposi of ADP came third. He polled 17,624
INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Paul Ogunjiyagbe, who returned Fakeye as winner, said he scored 20,371 to defeat his opponent, Hon. Clement Akanni, who polled 17,247 votes.
INEC also declared Mr. Bamidele Salam of the PDP as winner of the Ede Federal Constituency election.
The Collating and Returning Officer, Prof. Adeniyi Adewusi, Salam got 46,994 votes to defeat Mr. Adejare Bello of the APC who got 44,866 votes.
Niger
Mr. Umar Bago of the APC was returned to represent Chanchaga Federal Constituency of Niger State for the third time.
Bago polled 39,391 votes to beat the PDP’s Alhaji Abubakar Buba who scored 17,869 while the ADP candidate, Ambassador Nma, got 4,415.
In Suleja Federal Constituency, the APC candidate Alhaji Abubakar Lado polled 54,224 to pick the second term ticket, while the PDP candidate, Mr. Mukhtar Iya, got 38,732 and the ACD candidate Alhaji Yussuf Tagwai got 37,319 votes.
Ekiti
A former minister, Prince Dayo Adeyeye of the ruling APC, was declared winner of the Ekiti South senatorial district.
Former House of Representatives member, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, won the Ekiti Central senatorial district seat.
Bamidele scored 94,279 votes to trounce the PDP candidate, Mr. Obafemi Adewale, who polled 48,707 votes.
INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Laide Lawal, announced the results, saying while Adeyeye scored 77,621 votes, the opposition PDP and Senate Minority Leader, Senator Biodun Olujimi, polled 53,741 votes.
The APC also clinched the Ekiti North senatorial district contest with the Returning Officer, Prof. Sunday Fasina, declaring Senator Adetunmbi the winner.
He said Adetunmbi polled 60,689 votes to defeat the incumbent Senator Duro Faseyi of the PDP who recorded 49,209 votes.
In the meantime, the candidates of the APC in Ekiti South Federal Constituency 1 and Ekiti North Federal Constituency II, Mr. Yemi Adaramodu and Mr. Olarewaju Ibrahim respectively, were declared the winners with a wide margin of victory.
Adaramodu emerged with 41,864 as against the PDP’s, Mr. Segun Adekola who polled 24, 707.
Ibrahim polled 29,388 votes against the PDP flag bearer, Mr. Olusola Omotoso, who garnered 23,684 votes.
Mr. Sola Fatoba and Mrs. Wumi Ogunlola of the APC for Ekiti Central Federal Constituencies 1 and 2 respectively, also won in the contests.