The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal of Sokoto State winner of the governorship election, after last Saturday’s supplementary poll.
Tambuwal won with a slim margin of 342 votes.
According to the Chief Collation/Returning Officer, Prof. Fatima Mukhtar, Tambuwal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured the highest votes of 512, 002 to defeat his closest rival, Alhaji Ahmad Aliyu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 511, 660 votes.
Declaring Tambuwal the winner of the polls, the returning officer said, “I, Fatimah Muktar, hereby certify that I was the returning officer for Sokoto State governorship election held on 23rd of March, 2019.
“PDP candidate, Aminu Tambuwal having scored the highest votes in the election, is hereby declared winner and returned elected according to law” Mukhtar said.
“That the election was contested and the candidates received the following votes: 512, 002 for Aminu Tambuwal, and 511, 660 votes for Alhaji Ahmad Aliyu.
“That Aminu Tambuwal having satisfied the constitutional requirements, is hereby declared the winner of the election.”
Mukhtar, who is the Vice Chancellor of Federal University, Dutse, Jigawa State, said the votes were tallied along with previous ones recorded after the March 9 election.
It would be recalled that the election then was declared inconclusive because the vote difference between Tambuwal and his challenger was lower than the cancelled votes.
“The total number of registered voters was 1, 887, 767 while 1, 083, 413 voters were accredited. Total number of valid votes was 1,036,332 and the total number of rejected votes was 31, 662. The number of total votes cast was 1, 067, 994”, Mukhtar said.
According to her, during the re-run election, PDP’s Tambuwal polled 22, 444 votes while APC’s Aliyu scored 25, 515 in the 135 polling units where supplementary election was conducted.
She further explained that 49 candidates from other participating parties shared the remaining votes cast.
However, the APC agent at the collation centre, Alhaji Maigari Dingyadi raised complaints the party made to INEC earlier about the malfunctioning card reader at a polling unit in Tambuwal.
Dingyadi added that election was repeated at the polling unit, after lawful election was conducted on March 9 election.
In his reaction, the PDP collation agent, Alhaji Umar Bature, dismissed the objections on the ground that the collation centre was not the right place to lodge the complaint.
Mukhtar noted the complaint and said that it would be reflected in the final report.
In his remarks, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Sadiq Musa, said the declaration of the winner was based on simple majority.
Shortly after the declaration of the results, the hall erupted with shout of ‘Allahu Akbar (God is great) as the PDP supporters roared in jubilation.
In his victory speech, Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal assured of running an all inclusive government that would move the Sokoto State to purposeful heights with opportunities for all.
Tambuwal, who was shortly announced winner of governorship elections after defeating his opponent, Alhaji Ahmed Aliyu by a slim margin in tough contested polls, made the remark when a tumultuous crowd of jubilant supporters and well wishers thronged Government House in celebration of his victory.
The governor, who is re-elected for the second term of another four years, expressed appreciation to the entire people of the state, especially PDP members for the feat he described as the will of God.
“I am thanking Allah for what we are witnessing today in our political journey that is blessed with victory. It is not my making nor any one’s but something that has been destined by Allah. It is the collective efforts of Sokoto State people.”
Tambuwal, however, appealed to the jubilant supporters mostly youths to conduct themselves in a peaceful and orderly manner while expressing their joy for the victory.
Similarly, the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed has won the supplementary governorship election held last Saturday in parts of the state.
The rerun elections were held in 36 polling units in 29 wards across 15 local government areas of Bauchi State.
The results from the 15 LGAs declared by the State Returning Officer, Prof. Kyari Mohammed, showed that PDP’s Senator Bala Mohammed polled 6, 376 votes while the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and incumbent Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Abubakar got 5, 117 votes.
According to the results, Bala led Abubakar with a difference of 1, 259 votes to emerge the winner of the supplementary election.
Before the declaration of the governorship election as inconclusive by Prof. Kyari Mohammed, in the early hours of Monday, 11th March, 2019, the PDP candidate led the incumbent governor with 4, 059 votes.
According to the Returning Officer, Senator Bala Mohammed got 469, 512 votes to lead Governor Mohammed Abubakar of the All Progressives Congress, who got 465, 453 votes.
Our correspondent reports that Prof. Kyari Mohammed had earlier cancelled the entire votes of Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area, which stands at 139, 240.
The Returning Officer, Prof. Kyari Mohammed, said: “As you well know, I cannot make a return because I understand that the case of Tafawa Balewa LGA is in court.”
The Federal High Court, Abuja, will deliver a final judgment on the results of Tafawa Balewa, today.
In his post-election speech, the governor-elect, Bala Mohammed, promised to bring back good governance denied the people.
Muhammed made the promise during a press conference in Bauchi, yesterday, shortly after the announcement of the supplementary poll results by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“Today is a very auspicious day for us in Bauchi and on behalf of the party, I wish to express gratitude and appreciation to God almighty.
“The collation of the supplementary poll that has just been concluded by INEC is a work of God and we owe it to him.
Similarly, the Benue State governorship Collation/Returning Officer, Mr. Sabastine Maimako, yesterday, declared the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mr. Samuel Ortom, as the winner of the March 9 governorship election.
He said Ortom, who is the incumbent governor, polled 434,473 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Mr. Emmanuel Jime, candidate of the All Progressives Congress who scored 345,155 votes.
Maimako said the total registered votes were 2,471,894, total accredited voters were 858,947, while total valid votes stood at 830,954.
He sad total rejected votes were 15,268, while the margin of lead between the winner and his closest rival was 89,318 votes.
At the end of collation of that election held on March 11, the INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Sabastine Maimako had declared the election inconclusive after Governor Ortom polled a total of 410,576 votes ahead of Jime who got 329,022 votes.
However, Maimako declared that the lead margin of 81,554 in favour of the PDP candidate was less than 121,019 being the figure of registered voters in the 204 Polling Units, PUs, across the state where elections were either cancelled of did not hold.
A rerun was fixed on March 23 by INEC which held in 22 out of 23 local government areas of the state.
Declaring Ortom winner of the race, Maimako said, “Haven satisfied the law, I hereby declare Governor Samuel Ortom winner of the election.”
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, has congratulated the party’s governorship candidate in Sokoto election, Governor. Aminu Tambuwal, after he was announced the winner of the re-run election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday.
On his verified Twitter handle, Atiku also hailed the decision of the people of Sokoto.
He said: “I congratulate His Excellency, Governor Aminu Tambuwal on his re-election and I assure the good people of Sokoto State that they have made the right decision that will see them continue on the path to peace, progress and prosperity. -AA #SokotoDecides”
Abubakar also reacted to results of Benue governorship elections, and commended Benue residents for re-electing Ortom.
Atiku on his Twitter page wrote: “The people of Benue State have not only made their choice, but most importantly, they have made the right choice.
“Congratulations @GovSamuelOrtom on your successful re-election.”
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, has reacted to results of Benue and Sokoto States supplementary governorship elections.
Reacting, Dogara congratulated the Governors for emerging victorious.
He tweeted, “I congratulate @AWTambuwal and @samuelortom on their victories at the supplementary elections.
“Your victories were true reflections of the wishes of the people & confirmation of their love and appreciation of your respective administrations’ successes.”
Also, the Senator-elect for Benue South Senatorial District, Comrade Abba Moro, congratulated Governor Samuel Ortom of the Peoples Democratic Party on his victory at the just-concluded governorship election in the state.
Moro described Ortom’s emergence as victory for the good people of Benue State who still believe in good governance.
He described the re-election of Ortom as the “best political development for Benue State at the moment”, asserting that there could not have been a better choice at this defining moment.
The Senator-elect in a statement he personally signed, yesterday evening, said the people of Benue State have spoken through the ballot box, and it is time to put the election behind us and forge ahead in the task of further developing the food basket state.
Moro, while thanking the people of Benue State for standing with Ortom against odds, assured the governor-elect of his personal and constituents’ cooperation and support in the task of building a greater and virile food basket state.
He said, “Indeed, this is a hard, long tortuous struggle for victory for the people of Benue State.
“No doubt, the good people of Benue State have spoken through the ballot box, and it is time to forge ahead in the task of further developing the food basket state.
“Against all odds, the electorate has spoken loud and clear, and democracy has won again.
“I urge everyone who contested the seat with Governor Ortom to be gallant in defeat and work with him as he strives to tend the welfare, expectations and aspirations of the people.
“I thank the Peoples Democratic Party in the state and Nigeria for their relentless efforts in making sure that the party retained the state.
“I assure the governor-elect of my personal cooperation and that of my constituents in his new government.
“We shall work closely to take the state to a greater height and ensure that the mandate trusted on him by the people yields positive results for a better tomorrow.”
On the flip side, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared incumbent governor of Plateau State and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Barrister Simon Lalong winner of the 2019 governorship election.
The total results were declared at exactly 4am, yesterday at the end of the collation of results which lasted between 9pm on Saturday night through the early hours of Sunday.
The governor was declared the winner by the Returning Officer, Prof Richard Anande Kimbir, who is also the Vice Chancellor of the University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State.
Lalong emerged winner in the March 9 election, and also emerged winner in the March 23 supplementary election.
By the total results, Governor Simon Lalong defeated his major rival, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Gen Jeremiah Useni (rtd).
Lalong polled a total of 595, 582 votes to defeat Useni, who scored 546, 813 votes.
Results for the nine LGAs that took part in the supplementary poll, including Langtang South, Barkin Ladi, Bassa, Bokkos, Jos North, Kanam, Mangu, Shendam and Pankshin showed that Lalong scored 12,327 new votes, while Useni, earned 8,487.
In his remarks after he had been declared winner, yesterday, Governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, said his administration will work with opposition political parties and every stakeholders for the development and prosperity of Plateau people.
He noted that he will not harass, witch-hunt or intimidate his opponent, but will extend a hand of friendship to consolidate on the existing peace in the state.
But the Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Plateau State, Jeremiah Useni, has rejected the results of the governorship polls conducted in the state on March 9 and 23, 2019 in which the candidate of the All Progressives Congress and incumbent governor of the state, Simon Lalong, emerged victorious.
The PDP candidate’s rejection of the poll results came a few hours after the Independent National Electoral Commission had declared Lalong winner of the election, yesterday
Useni, who addressed a press conference in Jos, yesterday, rejected the announcement, describing it as “an injustice and a temporary setback.”
According to him, the results of the governorship election as announced by INEC did not reflect the voting pattern of the people whom he claimed voted for him “massively” at the poll.
The PDP candidate said that he and his party had decided to head to the tribunal to reclaim the mandate freely given to them by the people
He said, “My team and I have gone through both the official results released by INEC and the documents submitted by our own field staff.
“We have every reason to believe that justice has not been done to our people in this election because there was massive rigging and electoral shortcomings.
“After due consultation, I hereby state that the results announced by INEC is not acceptable to us. Consequently, we have requested our legal team to activate all the due processes to reclaim our cherished mandate at the tribunal and by the grace of God, we will overturn and recover the people’s mandate”
The PDP candidate thanked party members, stakeholders and supporters for their commitment, hard work and sacrifices throughout the election period and urged them to remain united and focused on the struggle until “the restoration agenda for the soul of Plateau State is achieved.”
Meanwhile, Kano State Governor, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje has won the rerun election with 45,876 votes.
Declaring the result, yesterday, the state INEC Returning Officer, Prof Bello B. Shehu said Ganduje of the All Progressives Congress (APC) polled 45,876 votes while Engr Abba Kabir Yusuf of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 10,239 votes.
Shehu said 28 local governments were affected by the rerun poll with total registered voters of 131,073.
He said out of the figures, only 57,777 voters were accredited, adding that the total valid votes during the rerun poll stood at 56,407, rejected votes 1,100 and votes cast 57,507.
He said that Ganduje won with a margin of margin of 8,982 votes after the collation of figures for the supplementary elections held on March 23, 2019.
The results for the LGAs in the supplementary elections were declared, yesterday evening.
He said that for Kibiya LGA, the PDP candidate, Abba Yusuf polled 228 votes, while the APC polled 371 votes.
But in a swift reaction, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has vowed not to sign the results of the just concluded Gubernatorial Re-run Election before the official declaration by the INEC collation officer Prof. Bello Shehu in Kano.
Speaking after the collation, acting Chairman of the party, Alh Rabi’u Sulaiman Bichi lamented that the results were doctored, stating that no election was conducted on the 23rd of March, 2019 in the state.
Also, a member representing Dala Federal Constituency and one of the party co-agent, Hon Ali sani Madakin Gini observed that the embattled Ward (Gama) in Nassarawa local government has witnessed a number violence and alleged that thugs denied their members right to vote.
Responding to the allegations Senator representing Kano North Federal Constituency under the platform of All Progressive Congress (APC) Senator Barau Jibrin called on the aggrieved party to seek redress at the tribunal.
According to him, “The collation started from Ward to the local government level and it’s from there that all complaints are to be made, not at the state collation centre after all agents has assent the results”.
Earlier, the Kano State chapter of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) had formally written to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), seeking the cancellation of the March 23 supplementary election in the state.
The letter titled: “Request for the cancellation of Kano gubernatorial Rerun Election as a Result of the invasion of the State by Hired Political Thugs by the Ruling APC and Kano State Government,” was dated March 23, 2019, and addressed to the Resident Electoral Commissioner of INEC in the state.
The letter, which was signed by the Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the People’s Democratic Party, Engineer Rabiu Sulieman Bichi, recalled that sequel to their previous letter cautioning against the possibility of creating mayhem through the deployment of thugs in all the affected areas of the rerun election, they were formally making a request for the cancellation of the exercise in the state.
The PDP hinged its request letter on the grounds of “massive invasion of political thugs into the state who are believed to have been hired by the APC and the Kano State Government.
“We are reliably informed that the ruling APC imported thousands of thugs from neighbouring states of Jigawa, Plateau, Katsina, Kaduna and Zamfara, and Niger Republic, in addition to the ones generated locally from within the state”, it stated in the letter.
The party added that the political thugs who invaded the 208 polling units across the state, denied the PDP agents access to perform their duty as stipulated in the Electoral Act.
The PDP regretted that the police, on the orders of the DIG Anthony Michael, “has been seen aiding and abating electoral offences such as ballot box snatching, multiple voting and casting of votes with a third-party PVCs.
“It is important to note that in all the 28 local governments where the rerun is taking place, the aforementioned electoral offences have been witnessed by the public, including the media and the international observers”, the party said in a letter whose copy was also sent to the Inspector General of Police and the Director-General of Department of State Security.
“It is pertinent to state that agents of the Kano State Government are in possession of elections sensitive materials which they have already prepared, and in all cases, got signed for the purpose of swapping the actual result of the rerun election,” the party concluded.