New State Governors have been elected across the main political parties after Nigerians voted on the March 18th Gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections.
The ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, has been a major beneficiary clearing, Jigawa, Katsina, Benue, Sokoto, Lagos, Gombe, Ogun, Yobe and Kwara states as the Independent National Electoral Commission announces more results.
The main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, had a new Governor from Akwa Ibom State, Umo Eno.
Inclusive Government
The elected Governors have extended open hands of fellowship to lovers and opposition political parties, promising an inclusive government. From Lagos, Katsina, Ogun, Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Gombe, and Yobe came assurance to all citizens for a unifying force toward the development of their States.
Breakdowns
In Oyo state, Seyi Makinde of the PDP was declared the winner of the governorship poll after scoring 563,756 votes to beat his closest rival, Teslim Folarin of the All Progressive Congress scored 256,685 votes. Adebayo Adelabu of the Accord Party scored 38,357 votes.
Makinde said, “The incoming administration which is tagged Omituntun 2.0, is a film that would be a lot better, sweeter and more effective when compared to Omituntun 1.0. ( First term in office).”
Governor Abiodun of Ogun state secured a second term in office after polling 276,298 votes to defeat his PDP opponent, Oladipupo Adebutu, who scored 262,383 votes and 12 other candidates.
The returning officer of the governorship election in Ogun State, Prof. Kayode Adebowale declared Abiodun a winner at the collation centre of the commission in the state.
According to him, the total number of registered voters was 2,688,305, while the accredited voters were 666,406.
Adebowale said a total of 645,133 votes were valid while 18,835 votes were rejected out of the 663,968 total votes cast.
From Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu was re-elected as he polled the highest number of votes in the governorship election held on Saturday. The results were announced at INEC’s collation centre in Yaba, Lagos.
The governor was declared the winner with 762,134 votes while his closest rival, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party, polled 312,329 votes. The candidate of the PDP, Olajide Adediran, came third with 62,449 votes.
Sanwo-Olu won in 19 LGAs, while Rhodes-Vivour emerged victorious in Amuwo Odofin LGA, as announced by the Returning Officer, Adenike Oladiji, who is the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State.
In his address, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Olusegun Agbaje, urged citizens not to see an election as a do-or-die affair, stressing that he received several threats during the election.
He said, “It is very strange that at this time in Nigeria, we still see elections as a do-or-die affair but elections should not be seen as do-or-die affairs.”
The incumbent Kwara State Governor, APC candidate garnered 273,424 votes to beat his closest rival, Alhaji Yaman Abdullahi of the PDP scored 155,490 votes in the election.
Announcing the results at the INEC office, Ilorin on Sunday, the returning officer for the state governorship election and Vice-Chancellor, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Prof Isaac Itodo, said Abdulrazaq won in all the 16 local government councils in the state, including Ilorin South, Ilorin West, Ilorin East, Offa, Oyun, Ifelodun, Irepodun, Oke-Ero, Ekiti, Patigi, Edu, Kaiama and Baruten Local Governments.
Itodo disclosed that 470,771 voters were accredited for the election while 460,497 votes were declared valid and over 4,000 votes were invalid.
Muhammad Yahaya, APC candidate in Gombe state won a second term in office polling 342,821 to overwhelm his closest challenger and PDP candidate, Muhammad Barde, who scored 233,131 and the NNPP’s Khamisu Mailantarki recorded 19,861.
The state returning officer, Prof Maimuna Waziri, who doubles as the Vice Chancellor of Federal University Gashua, Yobe State, declared the results at the collation centre on Sunday.
“That Yahaya of the All Progressives Congress, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes is hereby declared the winner and returned elected,” Waziri said.
According to the returning officer, Gombe has 1,575,794 registered voters but 618, 231 were accredited for the polls.
Announcing the result of the election at the INEC headquarters in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State on Sunday, the state Returning Officer and Vice Chancellor of Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State, Prof Emmanuel Adigio said Umo Eno amassed 356,346 votes to defeat the APC and Young Progressives Party candidates had 129,602 and 136,262 votes, respectively.
The New Nigeria Peoples Party followed with 12,509 votes while the Labour Party polled 4,746 votes.
Adagio said, “ Umo Eno of the PDP having satisfied the requirements of the law is here declared the winner of the governorship election in Akwa Ibom State.”
The PDP candidate won in 29 out of 31 local government areas of the state while the YPP candidate, Senator Bassey Albert won in only two governments.
The local governments won by the governor-elect include; Udung Uko, Uruan, Ini, Esit Eket, Ikot Abasi, Ikot Ekpene, Etim Ekpo and 22 others while Akpan won in Ikono and Ibiono Ibom LGAs, respectively.
However, the YPP party agent, Mr Kelvin Umoh rejected the results, alleging widespread violence and intimidation that allegedly led to the killing of his party supporters.
Umoh said, “It will be wrong for me to append my signature to the results sheets because there was widespread violence and intimidation.”
But the PDP agent, Uwem Okoko, commended the INEC for the improvement witnessed in the Saturday polls and also thanked the voters for voting for the PDP in the state.
In Katsina State, the APC governorship candidate, Dikko Radda, emerged as the governor-elect after being victorious in 33 of the 34 LGAs in the state
The PDP candidate, Senator Yakubu Lado won in Kankara LGA.
The results were declared at the governorship election collation centre in Katsina in the presence of the returning officer, Prof Muazu Abubakar.
According to Abubakar, Radda polled 859, 892 to emerge as the winner of the election. The PDP candidate, Senator Yakubu Lado, polled 486,260.
In Yobe State, Governor Mai Buni was also re-elected
He won in all 17 local government areas of the state with a total of 317,113 votes.
The candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Sharif Abdulahi, came a distant second with a total score of 104,259 votes.
Announcing the results in Damaturu, the Returning Officer for the governorship election and the VC of the Federal University of Kashere, Gombe state, Prof. Umar Pate put the accredited voters at 459,492, valid votes 444,567.
According to the results declared so far in 21 LGAs, the APC candidate is leading with a margin of about 43,228 votes against the PDP’s, Sa’idu Ubandoma.
In Adamawa State, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri is in an early lead by a margin of 39,037 votes from results so far collated from 13 LGAs out of the 21 council areas in the state.
In Niger, the APC is set to produce the governor as its candidate, Umar Bago is in an early lead going by the results so far declared which indicated that he is leading in 12 out of the 14 LGAs.
However, his PDP rival, Isah Kantigi won three local government areas.
Fifteen out of the 25 local government areas in the state have been collated while the remaining 10 are yet to be announced.
The returning officer for the governorship election in Sokoto State, Professor Armayau Hamisu, who is also the Vice Chancellor, Federal University, Dutsinma, Katsina State announced Ahmad Aliyu’s winner after collating all the 23 local governments area results at about 10 pm on Sunday.
He explained that the APC candidate Aliyu defeated his closest challenger and the ruling party in the state, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Sa’idu Umar Ubandoma with a vote margin of 49,029.
In Jigawa State, INEC declared the APC candidate, Alhaji Namadi Dammodi, as the winner of the 2023 governorship election in the state.
Announcing the result, the INEC Collation officer in the state, the Vice Chancellor Federal University Birnin Kebbi, Prof. Zayyanu Umar Birnin, Dammodi scored 618,449 to emerge winner and newly elected governor of Jigawa state.
His closest rivals of Peoples of the PDP, Mustapha Sule, scored 368,726 votes and Ibrahim Aminu Ringim of the NNPP who 37,156 votes.
Mercy Chukwudiebere
