Fintiri Maintains Lead as INEC Suspends Collation of Adamawa’s Governorship Election Results

*APC wins more N’Assembly seats in Plateau, Oyo, Kano, Yobe 

*Six feared killed as violence mars elections in Akwa Ibom, Kebbi, Kano 

*EFCC arrests 12 in Kano, Katsina for vote-buying

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos, Ibrahim Shuaibu in Kano, Daji Sani in Yola, Okon Bassey in Uyo, and Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto

Adamawa State Governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),  Ahmadu Fintiri, yesterday maintained his lead in the supplementary polls held in the state, ahead of his main rival, Aishatu ‘Binani’ Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The ruling APC also maintained its lead in the 2023 National Assembly elections as it won more seats in the Senate and the House of Representatives in the supplementary polls held in Plateau, Kano, Oyo and Yobe states.
However, no fewer than six persons were feared killed as violence erupted during the conduct of the supplementary elections held in the Ikono/Ini and Abak federal constituencies of Akwa Ibom State.
Following the violence, INEC has cancelled the Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency rerun election.
The Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Cyril Omorogbe, who announced the cancellation, described the rerun as abysmal.
Omorogbe said the cancellation of the elections in all the 17 polling units that participated in the rerun was due to the incidences of snatching of electoral materials and the Bi-Modal Voters Accreditation Machine System (BIVAS).
The supplementary polls in Edo, Ekiti, Adamawa, Rivers and Anambra states were characterised by voter apathy, vote-buying and late arrival of election materials.

Many people were also feared killed when thugs invaded the Utai and Achika districts of the Wudil Local Government Area of Kano State to disrupt the elections.
Also, a yet-to-be-identified man was shot by soldiers while attempting to snatch a ballot box at Bajida Polling Unit 001, Fakai Local Government Area in Kebbi State just as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) said it arrested 12 persons for alleged vote-buying during yesterday’s supplementary polls in Kano and Katsina states.
INEC held supplementary elections in many polling units in 24 states to conclude all outstanding governorship, national, and state assembly polls.
In earlier elections held on February 25 and March 18, the commission declared winners for the Presidency, 26 governorship, 104 senatorial, 329 House members, and 935 state assembly seats.

While the commission declared several polls inconclusive, it cancelled others due to irregularities and violence in the affected states.
Before INEC suspended the coalition of the governorship elections in Adamawa State till 10 am today, Fintiri was leading Binani by over 1,000 votes in the results collated from about 11 local government areas.
 THISDAY gathered that tension heightened after the officials of the INEC barred journalists from accessing the collation centre for the supplementary elections in the state.
Journalists who were already accredited during the presidential and governorship elections were shocked when they were turned back by stern-looking policemen who said they were given orders from above not to allow any journalist access to the collation centre.
News had filtered in that there were moves to undermine the electoral process.
This led to a series of protests by the campaign office of the PDP, which vowed to resist any attempt to undermine or doctor the governorship results.
In the result declared on March 11, incumbent Governor Fintiri polled 421,524 votes, while his main rival, Binani scored 390,275.
Fintiri defeated Binani with a margin of over 30,000 votes. The governor also won the election in 13 of Adamawa’s 21 local government areas while Binani won in the remaining eight.

But the state’s Collation Officer, Prof. Mohammed Mele announced the cancellation of elections in 69 polling units in Fufore LGA, which affected no fewer than 37,016 potential voters with PVCs in those units.
Though the final results showed that Fintiri scored the highest votes, INEC said the cancelled votes were more than the margin of victory between him and the runner-up, Binani.
It, therefore, declared the governorship election in Adamawa State inconclusive.
The 37,016 potential voters in Fufore were expected to determine the fate of Fintiri and Binani yesterday.
In the supplementary polls held yesterday, the results collated by INEC from 11 LGAs showed that Fintiri got 5, 282 votes while Binani scored 3,692.
The collation was however, suspended till today.

In Demsa Borong Ward, APC scored 43 votes while the PDP got 124 votes.
In Yola South, APC got 797 votes, while the PDP scored 678 votes.
APC got 368 votes in Yola North, while the PDP scored 357 votes.
Others declared are: Lamurde LGA, while, APC got 285, PDP scored 580; Jada LGA, APC 145, PDP 271; Shelleng LGA, APC 223, PDP 299; Hong LGA, APC 361, PDP 1,056; Gante LGA, APC 176, PDP 309; Muhia LGA, APC 172, PDP 271; Song LGA, APC 558, PDP 309; and Michika LGA, APC 562, PDP 1028.
In Kebbi State, the governorship election results announced after the March 18 polls showed that the candidate of the ruling APC, Dr. Nasir Idris scored 388,358, while Mohammed Bande of the PDP scored 342,980.
However, there was cancellation of results in some local government areas of Kebbi State, cutting across many Registration Areas in different polling units.
The cancelled votes were more than the margin of victory between Idris and Bande.
The collation of results was ongoing last night amid tension.

 APC Wins More N’Assembly Seats in Plateau, Oyo, Kano, Yobe

Though supplementary polls were scheduled in five senatorial districts, 31 federal and 58 state assembly constituencies, only two senatorial and four House of Representatives results were declared as of press time.
Out of the results of the National Assembly elections declared last night by INEC, the ruling party won one senatorial seat each in Plateau and Yobe states, as well as one House of Representatives seat each in Oyo and Kano states.
On their part, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) won one House of Representatives seat each in Oyo and Kano states, respectively.

In Plateau State, the senatorial candidate of the APC, Mr. Plang Diket was declared the winner in the election, having polled 131,129 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mr. Yakubu Gortom of the PDP, who polled 127,023 votes in the election.
Declaring the results, the Returning Officer, Dr. Jimam Lar, said that the number of registered voters was 784,764, while only 313,051 voters were accredited. He said that the total votes cast was 308,762, with 304,940 votes being valid, and 3,822 votes rejected.

Reacting to the outcome of the supplementary elections, Gortom said the result declared was “illegal and cannot be accepted anywhere for the simple reason that the figures were concocted, making 95 per cent of the agents refuse to sign.”
He said the initial Returning Officer was intimidated to withdraw from the job, adding that “INEC, rather than investigate to know the reasons for his withdrawal, simply replaced him in less than 24 hours with someone that only came to cook a fictitious result and declared it.”
Diket, a former member of the state House of Assembly who represented Pankshin North, will now join Simon Mwadkwon (Plateau North) and Napoleon Bali (Plateau South) in the 10th National Assembly.

In Yobe State, INEC also declared Ibrahim Bomai of the APC the winner of the Yobe South senatorial election.
The Returning Officer of the election, Abatcha Melemi, while announcing the result yesterday at the Federal College of Education (Technical) Potiskum, disclosed that Bomai garnered 69,596 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Halilu Mazagane of the PDP, who polled 68,885 votes.
INEC had earlier declared the election in the district inconclusive following over-voting at the Manawachi polling unit in the Fika Local Government Area of the state.

With yesterday’s polls, the number of APC Senators-elect has increased from 57 to 59, while PDP and NNPP remain 29 and two, respectively.
For the House of Representatives seat, the Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, Alhasan Ado Doguwa, has been declared the winner of Doguwa and Tudunwada Federal Constituency.
The Returning Officer, Professor Sani Ibrahim, who announced the result at the just concluded supplementary elections held across eight wards in Tudunwada LGA, said Doguwa scored the highest number of votes cast 41,573.
His closest rival, Yushau Salisu of the NNPP polled 34,831 votes.
The February 25 election was declared inconclusive in the constituency due to violence and over-voting.
Also, the Returning Officer for the election on February 25, Ibrahim Adamu Yakasai, had reported that he announced the result under duress.
Yakasai had initially declared Doguwa the winner but INEC subsequently voided the process.

Doguwa, who is now going to the green chamber for the fifth term is believed to be among the top contenders for the position of speaker.
INEC has also declared Tolulope Akande-Sadipe of the APC, as the winner of the election for the Oluyole Federal Constituency in Oyo State.
The Returning Officer, Prof. Jacob Olaniyi, announced Akande-Sadipe as the winner in Ibadan, at the end of the supplementary election held in two polling units in the constituency.
According to him, Akande-Sadipe scored 14, 891 to defeat her closest rival, Mr Abdul-Mojeed Mogbonjubola of PDP, who scored 13,073.
Akande-Sadipe is currently representing the Oluyole Federal Constituency at the House.
The electoral body had declared the election held on February 25 inconclusive following the malfunctioning of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines and cases of over-voting in the affected two polling units.
This made the commission conduct a supplementary election in the two polling units on Saturday.
Similarly, INEC has also declared the PDP House of Representatives candidate, Hon. Abass Agboworin, as the winner of the re-run election in Ibadan South-East/North-East Federal Constituency of Oyo State.
Agboworin, a current occupant of the seat, was declared elected after he polled 28,111 votes to win the supplementary election.
The INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Benjamin Olley of the University of Ibadan, announced Agboworin as the winner at the ancient Mapo Hall Collation Centre in Ibadan.

Agboworin won the election ahead of his closest contender, Adedapo Lam-Adesina, son of the late former Governor, Lam Adesina.
Lam-Adesina of the APC, polled 27, 338 votes.
In Kano State, MB Shehu of the NNPP was declared the winner of the Fagge Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
Shehu defeated the incumbent House of Representatives member for the constituency, Aminu Sulaiman Goro of the APC, who is serving his third term in the Green Chamber.
Announcing the results, the Returning Officer, Professor Ibrahim Tajo Suraj, said Shehu polled 19, 024 votes of the total votes cast, followed by the candidate of the Labour Party, Shuaibu Abubakar who polled 12, 789 votes.
According to the result, Aminu Sulaiman Goro of APC came third with 8, 669 votes.

Six Feared Killed as Violence Mar Elections in Akwa Ibom, Kebbi

Meanwhile, six persons were feared killed as violence reportedly erupted during the conduct of the supplementary elections held in the Ikono/Ini and Abak federal constituencies of Akwa Ibom State.
Among those shot and hospitalised was an NYSC member who had served as Ad-hoc staff in the election.
The supplementary election in Ikono/Ini federal constituency was between incumbent House of Representatives member, Mr. Emmanuel Ukpong Udo who defected from the PDP to the Young Peoples Party (YPP), and former Commissioner in the state, Dr. Glory Edet of the PDP.
Udo was said to be leading Edet with a margin of 4,161; while in the Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika Federal Constituency, Clement Jimbo of the APC leads incumbent lawmaker, Aniekan Umanah of the PDP with a 2,962 votes margin.

The vote margin was said to have raised tension and violence allegedly caused by thugs, who reportedly resort to the hijacking of ballot materials and random shooting of some officials of INEC and supporters of opposition parties.
Out of the 17 units the polls were re-conducted in Ikono/Ini, and materials in seven units were reportedly hijacked by gunmen, which led to the cancellation of the supplementary polls by INEC.
Casualties were also reported in Etim Ekpo LGA Ward 7 at Ibio Nnung Achat community and Etok Uruk Eshiet Ward 3, where thugs disrupted the elections with violence and hijacking of ballot materials after the polls.
Reacting to the shooting of the corps member and others across the seven units of Ikono Ward 11, the INEC official in charge of Publicity and Voter Education, Mr. Osaro Aisien, as well as the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), said the full details of the cases were still being expected, assuring that no stone would be left unturned in bringing perpetrators to justice.

EFCC Arrests 12 in Kano, Katsina for Vote-buying

In a related development, the EFCC said it arrested 12 persons for alleged vote-buying during the supplementary polls in Kano and Katsina states.
The EFCC Kano Zonal Commander, Faruk Dogondaji, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in an interview that the suspects were arrested with N1.5 million cash in Kano and Katsina states.
According to him, 10 were arrested in Doguwa Local Government Area of Kano State and two in Kankiya LGA of Katsina State.
Dogondaji said the suspects were arrested while attempting to induce eligible voters with cash at some polling units.

He said the 10 suspects were apprehended with N1,357,500 in Doguwa LGA, while the two suspects were arrested with N242,000 in Kankia LGA.
“We will also be physically present at all the collation centres to prevent a change of results,” he said.
He said the presence of the personnel in the electoral process would add credibility to the exercise.
The EFCC commander said the suspects would be charged in court after the investigation.