Niger LG Poll: APC Wins 23 Chairmanship Seats

By Laleye Dipo in Minna

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has been declared winners of 23 out of the 25 local government chairmanship seats in the council poll conducted last Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which won one chairmanship seat, has protested the alleged disappearance of the returning officer for Tafa Local Government.

The Chairman of the State Independent Electoral Commission (NSIEC), Alhaji Aminu Baba Alhaji, declared the result for Mashegu Local Government, which went in favour of the APC on Monday morning, but said the entire chairmanship result for Tafa council has been cancelled.

Baba Alhaji, who briefed newsmen, said the returning officer for Tafa had disappeared without announcing the results at the local government as expected.

“We want peace in the local government especially because of its location. Anything there will bring serious implication to the state and the country. So we have come to the conclusion that we should cancel the election.

“Tafa Local Government chairmanship election is hereby cancelled. A new date will be announced,” Baba Alhaji said.

However, the PDP in a protest letter to the NSIEC signed by the state Chairman Tanko Beji, asked the commission to direct the returning officer to return to Tafa to declare the result.

Beji said if the returning officer could not be found, “another returning officer should be appointed and made to announce the result which we won successfully”.

Confirming the receipt of the letter from the PDP, the NSIEC chairman said: “There was no collation of results in Tafa so the party could not have won the election.”

Similarly, some PDP supporters from Tudun-wada ward in Chanchaga Local Government on Monday also protested the non-release of the councillorship election for the area, claiming their party won the election.

Carrying placards with various inscriptions, the PDP supporters asked NSIEC to declare their candidate the winner of the election.

NSIEC had on Sunday said the results for seven wards across the state including that of Tudun wada were inconclusive and that fresh elections would be held in the affected areas within two weeks.