As PDP Makinde, is re-elected in Oyo, Eno wins in A’Ibom
.Ogun PDP cries foul, calls for rerun
.Dapo Abiodun thanks electorate, promises more democracy dividends
As the election results of the 2023 governorship continue to trickle in, the All Progressives Congress party has been able to retain the following states Kwara, Ogun, Gombe and Katsina
Governor AbdulRazaq AbdulRahman has won re-election as the governor of Kwara State for a second term in office.
Abdulrazaq, who contested on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, emerged as the winner of the Saturday governorship election held in the state by polling 273,424 votes to beat his closest rival, Yaman Abdullahi of the Peoples Democratic Party who scored 155,490 votes in the election.
Announcing the results at the Independent National Electoral Commission’s office in Ilorin on Sunday, the returning officer for the state governorship election, Professor Isaac Itodo, who is the Vice-Chancellor, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, declared AbdulRazaq as the winner of the election having scored majority votes in the election.
AbdulRazaq won in all 16 local government councils in the state. He won in Ilorin South, Ilorin West, Ilorin East, Offa, Oyun, Ifelodun, Irepodun, Oke-Ero, Ekiti, Patigi, Edu, Kaiama and Baruten local governments.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Mr Umo Eno of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the winner of the governorship election held on March 18.
The Returning Officer, Prof. Emmanuel Adigio, Vice Chancellor, Nigerian Maritime University, Delta, announced the results at on Sunday in Uyo.
Adigio said Eno won in 29 out of 31 Local Government Areas of the state to defeat Sen. Bassey Akpan of the Young Progressive Party (YPP).
He said that the PDP candidate scored 354,348 votes, beating closet rival, of Young Progressive Party (YPP), who got 136,262 votes.
He also said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) scored 129,602 votes while the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) got 12,509 votes while Labour Party (LP) scored 4,746 votes.
Also, in Abeokuta ,the Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun state, Prince Dapo Abiodun has been declared winner of the Saturday’s governorship election in the state.
The State Returning Officer, Prof. Kayode Adebowale made the announcement at the state collation centre of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Abeokuta, the state capital.
Adebowale who was flanked by the state Residence Electoral Commissioner (REC) of INEC, Niyi Ijalaye declared Abiodun the winner of the election after the collation of results from all the 20 Local government areas of the state.
Abiodun was declared the winner after winning 12 Local government areas, while his closest rival, Ladi Adebutu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won in eight local government areas.
Abiodun defeated Adebutu with 13,915 votes.
Abiodun polled a total of 276,298 votes, while Adebutu scored 262,383 and the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Biyi Otegbeye garnered 9, 4754 votes.
Declaring Abiodun the winner of the election that, the state Returning officer said, “That Abiodun Adedapo Oluwaseun, having satisfied the requirements of the law is hereby declare d winner and is returned elected”.
The PDP, has however called for re-run election in polling units where elections were cancelled.
The party submitted a petition to INEC through its state collation agent, Sunkanmi Olajide.
The party accused the APC of using thugs to disrupt elections in some polling units in the state, claiming that, the total number of cancelled votes was higher than the lead of margin.
The party said, “You will recall that the Commission is aware of the level of thuggery planned and orchestrated by the All Progressive Congress to unleash mayhem in some polling units across the state to destabilise innocent voters from freely exercising their voting rights as a result of planned and well executed action.
“We are aware that the principle of margin of lead as established by the Commission in Section
24(3) is in effect, affected by the inability of the population greater than the reflected lead between the assumed winner of the election and the runner-up. Therefore, a re-run in appropriate to address this injustice.
“We therefore implore the Commission to evoke this principle and declare this election inconclusive.”
But, reacting to the demand of the party, the state collation officer said, the claim of the party was at variant with the record of results collated.
Meanwhile, Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, has commended the people of the state for renewing his mandate for another term of four years, just as he remarked that “Power Belongs to God.”
Abiodun described his victory as heart-warming, and a “further proof that no man can play God or stop what God has ordained”
The Governor in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Kunle Somorin on Sunday, said though the election was keenly contested, his reelection came to him as a sign of good faith and a vote of confidence in his Administration by the people, assuring that his second term would usher in more goodies of democracy.
He said his victory is a further challenge to deliver on the manifesto of the All Progressives Congress (APC), even as he promised that he would continue with the government of inclusiveness that has been the hallmark of his Administration in the last four years.
While commending the people for conducting themselves in a peaceful manner during the polls, the governor equally lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, the media and other relevant stakeholders for ensuring an atmosphere which enabled peaceful elections.
Abiodun also thanked the party leaders, stalwarts and members of the APC in the state, who worked assiduously for the party’s victory, assuring them that he would continue to keep the flag of the party flying, by continuing to deliver good governance across the state.
The governor called on the opposition and well-meaning individuals in the state to join hands with him in order to move Ogun State to a higher pedestal.
He reiterated his Administration’s commitment to principle of equity, fairness and justice, maintaining that his Administration would not be characterized by favouritsm, nepotism and lopsidedness in situating developmental projects in all the four zones and three senatorial districts of the state.
According to Abiodun, in his second term, he “shall ensure the completion of several projects, aimed at improving the standard of living of the people and the economic prosperity of the state from the unparalleled success already recorded”.
He promised to be inclusive participatory, transparent, accountable, fair and not develop any part of the state at the expense of the other, the statement concluded
Similarly, Governor Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe State in North-East Nigeria and the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the March 18, 2023 governorship election has been declared winner of the poll.
Yahaya of the APC scored 342,821 to defeat his close contender, Mohammed Jibrin Barde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 233,131.
Ahmed Mailantarki of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) came third with votes 19,861 while Keftin Amuga of the Labour Party (LP) scored 1,753.
Governorship elections were held in 28 of Nigeria’s 36 states on Saturday. The governorship and state assembly elections were held a week later than initially scheduled after a court case forced INEC to move them forward.
Eight of the 36 states — Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Osun, and Ondo — have governorship elections “off-season” due to litigations and court judgements.
In alphabetical order, the 28 states where governorship elections were on March 18 are Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe, Zamfara.
Of the 28 states, 11 serving governors including Yahaya sought reelection while 17 outgoing governors are in the final weeks of their constitutional two-term limits of eight years, having been sworn in on May 29, 2015.
The All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate in Katsina State, Dikko Umar Radda has emerged winner of the Saturday, March 18 governorship poll.
Dikko, a former director of Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency, polled 859,892 votes to beat Garba Yakubu Lado of PDP, who scored 486,620 votes.
Prof. Ma’azu Abubakar Gusau, Returning Officer for Katsina governorship poll, however, is yet to officially announce the result.
Also, Yobe State Governor, Hon. Mai Mala Buni of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been re-elected.
He was declared winner of the governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday in Damaturu.
Announcing the result, Professor Umar Pate, the returning officer at the election, said that Mai Mala Buni of APC scored a total of 317,113 votes to defeated his closest opponent, Alhaji Sheriff Abdullahi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that polled 104,259 votes.
Garba Umar of New Nigerian People’s party (NNPP) polled 14,246 votes to come third.
The returning officer after announcing the votes of the candidates, said: “I Professor Umar Pate hereby certify that Mai Mala Buni, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of the votes, is hereby declared winner of the election”.
However, The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Gov. Seyi Makinde of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as winner of the March 18 Governorship election in Oyo State.
The State Returning Officer, Prof. Adebayo Bamire, also the Vice-Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, made the declaration on Sunday afternoon at the INEC State Headquarters in Ibadan.
Makinde floored his closet rival, a serving senator, Teslim Folarin of the All Progressives Congress (APC), having won in 31 local government areas of the state, leaving only two to his opponent.
Bamire declared that Makinde polled 563,756 votes to defeat his closest rival, Folarin, who scored 256,685 votes.
The Returning Officer, declaring the final results, said, “Seyi Makinde having polled the highest number of votes in the election, was returned elected as Governor of Oyo State”.
He, also, said that the candidate of Accord, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, came third with 38,357 votes.
While Makinde won in 31 local government areas, Folarin won in Irepo and Orelope Local Governments.
In his reactions, Makinde said he was overwhelmed.
He, however, thanked the people of the state for the confidence reposed in his administration.
Makinde also thanked his friends, political associates and everyone that supported his aspiration in one way or the other.
He promised to work harder for the people of the state in his second tenure.
NAN reports that 16 registered political parties contested the governorship election in the state, some of the candidates, however, dropped their ambition few days to the election, to align with either of the three main contenders.
The margin of defeat is 307,071 votes.
In Uyo, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Mr Umo Eno of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), as the winner of the governorship election held on March 18.
The Returning Officer, Prof. Emmanuel Adigio, Vice Chancellor, Nigerian Maritime University, Delta, announced the results at on Sunday in Uyo.
Adigio said Eno won in 29 out of 31 Local Government Areas of the state to defeat Sen. Bassey Akpan of the Young Progressive Party (YPP).
He said that the PDP candidate scored 354,348 votes, beating closet rival, of Young Progressive Party (YPP), who got 136,262 votes.
He also said that the All Progressives Congress (APC) scored 129,602 votes while the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) got 12,509 votes while Labour Party (LP) scored 4,746 votes.
