kogidecides: INEC Declares Kogi Governorship Election Inconclusive

 

Kogidecides: INEC Declares Kogi Governorship Election Inconclusive

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has declared Kogi State governorship election inconclusive.
INEC returning officer for the election, Prof. Emmanuel Kucha of Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, said no party could be declared the winner yet since the numbers of cancelled votes was more than the difference between the first placed Prince Abubakar Audu of APC and the second placed Capt. Idris Wada of PDP.
Out of the votes cast, Audu had pulled 240,827 while Wada came second with 199,514 votes. The candidate of the Labour Party, Dr. Philip Salawu scored 8,756 to came a distant third.
Though the election was peaceful  across the three senatorial axis but their were some upheaval in some polling units resulting in cancellation of result in 59 polling units across 18 Local Government area of the state due to non adherence to Card reader usage, over voting, ballot snatching, violence and other irregularities.
Kucha said, “Since the number of cancelled votes was 49,953 while the difference between the votes scored by the APC and PDP candidates stood at 41,353, the election could not yet be declared as conclusive.
“Applying provision of INEC guideline, page 22 – 23 paragraph 4(m), the election will be re-conducted in 59 polling units across eighteen LGAs”.
The Breakdown of the result declared so far shows that Audu won 16 out of the 21 Local Government areas of the state while Wada won five of the LGAs.
The APC won in Yagba East, Yagba West, Kabba/Bunu, Ijumu, Lokoja, Kogi, Okehi, Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ibaji, Ankpa, Igalamela/Odolu, Ofu, Olamaboro and Idah LGAs; while PDP won Mopamuro, Dekina, Okene, Ogori/Mangogo and Omala LGAs
The result of the election shows that all the major gladiators won in their respective Local  government, with Audu winning his LG, Ofu; his Deputy, Faleke won Ijumu LG; while Governor Wada won his LG, Dekina; and his Deputy, Yomi Awoniyi won his LG, Mopamuro.
A further breakdown shows that the. Governor won only one local government in the Western senatorial axis, and two each from the Central and Eastern senatorial axis of the state.
INEC however said it will communicate a new date for the conduct of the rescheduled election in the affected polling units
The following are the LGAs and numbers of cancelled votes: Adavi 2134, Ajaokuta 1406, Anpka 6021, Bassa 742, Dekina 17,454, Ibaji 2665, Idah 310, Igalamela/Odolu 1501, Ijumu 705, Kabba/Bunu 1767, Kogi 1689, Lokoja 2854, Ofu 4679, Okehi 403, Okenee 676, Olamaboro 2046, Omala 2526 and Yagba West 375.
By BOLUWAJI OBAHOPO