By KEMI KASUMU and Agency reports
From our election monitoring situation room, it can be reported correctly that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is holding the concluding parts of its inconclusive elections in a number of polling units across 24 states of the country, particularly in Adamawa, Kebbi, Imo, Anambra, Sokoto and Zamfara, today Saturday April 15, 2023.
The supplementary elections holding across the Nigeria are expected to conclude all outstanding governorship, national and state assembly elections in the country.
The DEFENDER reports that earlier on Saturday February 25 and Saturday March 18, INEC held presidential and national assembly elections as well as governorship and state house of assembly elections and declared winners for the Presidency, 26 governorship, 104 senatorial, 329 House of Reps membership and 935 state assembly seats.
Due to issues of irregularities and widespread of violence occasioned by use of armed thugs by some political actors, however, the election umpire declared several polls inconclusive and while cancelled others in the affected states.
At the top of the supplementary polls today, Arise News reports, will be the governorship elections in Adamawa and Kebbi states. There will also be supplementary polls in five senatorial districts, 31 federal and 58 state assembly constituencies in the two states.
In the Adamawa State governorship election result declared on March 11, incumbent Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) polled 421,524 votes, while his main rival, Senator Aishatu ‘Binani’ Dahiru of the All Progressives Congress (APC) scored 390,275 closing at Fintiri’s interim victory against Binani with a margin of over 30,000 votes.
The PDP’s candidate and incumbent 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 Local Government Area, which affected no fewer than 37,016 potential voters with Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) in those units.
Although 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 and, therefore, declared the governorship election in Adamawa State inconclusive.
This online newspaper, however, has been yet to see where news celebrating Senator Binani as winner of the state election as first elected Nigerian female governor of a state although, that rumour was timely laid to rest as INEC came up with truth of exercise in the nation’s part.
Today, the 37,016 potential voters in Fufore will determine the fate of Fintiri and Binani as they renew their rivalry.
In Kebbi
The Kebbi State Governorship election results announced after the March 18 polls showed that the candidate of the ruling APC, Dr. Nasir Idris, scored 388,358 votes, while Mohammed Bande of the PDP scored 342,980 votes.
There was cancellation of results in a number of local government areas of the state, cutting across a number of Registration Areas in different polling units.
The cancelled votes were more than the margin of victory between Idris and Bande.
As a result, the Collation and Returning Officer of the election, Prof. Yusuf Sa’idu of the Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, declared the Kebbi governorship election inconclusive.
Prof. Yusuf Sa’idu said, “We aggregated the total number of collected PVCs in polling units where elections were cancelled and it came to a total of 91,829.
“And when we checked the results, the two leading political parties in this contest, APC and PDP polled 388,258 and 342,980 votes respectively. When we look at the difference, it stands at 45,278.
“By virtue of electoral provisions and the powers vested in me as the collation and returning officer of 2023 gubernatorial election in Kebbi State, I, Prof. Yusuf Sa’idu of the Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, hereby declare the governorship election in Kebbi State inconclusive.”
Senatorial Elections
There will be supplementary senatorial elections in Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states.
In Sokoto, elections will be conducted in Sokoto-North, Sokoto-East and Sokoto-South senatorial districts.
In Sokoto-South, elections will hold in 133 polling units where a total number of 73,471 PVCs were collected.
In Sokoto-North, elections will take place in 166 polling units with a total of 106,207 PVCs.
In Sokoto-East, elections will be held in 90 polling units with a total of 48,075 PVCs.
In Kebbi and Zamfara states, the election will be conducted in one senatorial district each – Kebbi-North and Zamfara-Central.
While the election will be held in 23 polling units in the Kebbi-North, electorates in 83 polling units will be voting in the Zamfara-Central senatorial election. They have 13,243 and 47,277 eligible voters, respectively.
House of Representatives
Supplementary elections for House of Representatives will be held in 31 constituencies in 15 states.
They are Akwa Ibom (2), Anambra (1), Bayelsa (1), Edo (1), Imo (1), Kano (2), Kebbi (2), Kogi (1), Oyo (2), Rivers (2), Sokoto (11), Taraba (1), Zamfara (2), Jigawa (1) and Ebonyi State (1).
Sokoto State
There will be House of Representatives supplementary elections in Rabah/Wurno, Yabo/Shiyari, Sokoto-North, Sokoto-South, Kware/Wamakko, Kebbe/Tambuwal, Isa/Sabon Birni, Gwadabawa/Illela, Gudu/Tangaza, Gada-Goronyo, Bodinga-Dange Shuni Tureta and Binji-Silame.
Zamfara State
House of Representatives supplementary elections will hold in Gusau/Tsafe, Gummi/Bukkuyum
Taraba State
House of Representatives supplementary elections will be held in Takum/Ussa/Donga.
Oyo State
House of Representatives supplementary elections will take place in two units in Oluyole and Ibadan North-east/Ibadan South-east.
Kogi State
House of Representatives supplementary elections will hold in 44 units of Dekinna/Bassa.
Kebbi State
In Kebbi State, elections will hold in seven units of Arewa/Dandi federal Constituency while in Koko Bese/MayanmaMayanma federal Constituency, elections will be held in six units.
Kano State
House of Representatives supplementary elections will take place in 13 units of Tundun Wada and in Fagge.
Jigawa State
There will be supplementary elections in six units of Gumel Federal Constituency.
Imo State
House of Representatives supplementary elections will take place in 58 units in Mbaitoli/Ikeduru.
Edo State
House of Representatives supplementary elections will be held in 48 units of Orhionmwon Uhunmode.
Ebonyi State
There will be supplementary elections in 35 units in Ezza-North Federal Constituency.
Bayelsa State
House of Representatives supplementary elections will hold in 32 units in Southern Ijaw.
Anambra State
There will be supplementary elections in 45 units of Ogbaru Federal Constituency.
Akwa Ibom State
House of Representatives supplementary elections will take place in 17 units of Ikono/Ini and in 25 units in Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika.
Rivers State
There will be supplementary elections in Port Harcourt II and Khana/Gokana federal constituencies.
In Port Port Harcourt II, the election will be held in 377 polling units within Wards 05, 10 and 28, respectively.
In Khana/Gokana, the election will be held in Khana Wards 04 and 07, across 42 polling units.
Houses of Assembly
For the state Houses of Assembly, elections will be held in 58 constituencies across 17 states.
Tinubu Sues for Peace
President-elect Bola Tinubu has called on Nigerians in the areas slated for supplementary elections to conduct themselves peacefully and eschew violence and any act prejudicial to orderly electoral processes.
Tinubu in a statement he personally signed said as the last leg of the 2023 general election, everyone must ensure that the electoral processes are brought to a final, peaceful conclusion.
He noted that it was only when there is a country that aspirants to political offices could have seats to contest for and the electorate have people seeking their votes.
The president -elect stressed that like the INEC officers, the candidates and the electorate, therefore, have a solemn responsibility in this election, adding that they must ensure that the additional polls are conducted not only freely and fairly, but also devoid of tension, acrimony and violence that will threaten the very fabric that holds the country together.
