The initial suspense and curiosity among Nigerians over the outcome of last Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections began to give way last night as President Muhammadu Buhari took the lead in four of the country’s geo-political zones. Other winners on the Senate and House of Representatives elections also emerged. The zones won by Buhari are the Northwest, the Northeast, the Southwest and the North Central.
Results from states and local government areas in the aforementioned zones showed that Buhari, the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, will certainly secure another term of four years. INEC will officially announce the results after their submission by the state resident electoral commissioners (REC) at the National Collation Centre in Abuja. Results declared by the commission’s officials at the polling units, wards and local government areas put Buhari far ahead his main rival, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). At the time of filing this report last night, results available to LEADERSHIP, which key stakeholders confirmed showed that Buhari was fully in control of the Northwest.
At the time of filing this report last night, results available to LEADERSHIP, which key stakeholders confirmed showed that Buhari was fully in control of the Northwest. It was learnt that Buhari already had 20 states across the country in his kitty.
Buhari also made impressive showing in the Southwest zone, where he won in most of the states in the region. Except Oyo State, where the coast was not very clear at the time of filing this report last night, Buhari took the lead in other states in the entire region Of the seven local governments released in Borno State, Buhari won in all of them. He also swept all the councils in his home state of Katsina where all the APC senatorial candidates also defeated their rivals. The situation was the same in Gombe State where the president defeated his main rival, Alhaji At
The situation was the same in Gombe State where the president defeated his main rival, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in seven of the nine local government results released by INEC. The collation in Gombe State was presided over by Prof. Kyari Mohammed, vice chancellor, Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola. In the presidential election, results from Gombe LGA showed that APC polled 86, 162 votes while the PDP scored 7,634 votes.
In the presidential election, results from Gombe LGA showed that APC polled 86, 162 votes while the PDP scored 7,634 votes. In Nafada council, APC scored 15, 417 votes while PDP had 5, 792 votes. Also in Yamaltu-Deba LGA, APC got 56, 157 votes to defeat PDP which polled 13, 248 votes. In Dukku council, APC received 36, 010 votes against PDP’s 7,435 while in Kwami LGA, APC polled 36, 317 to beat PDP which had 6,614 votes.
However, PDP defeated APC in Shongom and Billiri LGAs. In Shongom LGA, PDP scored 12, 871 votes against APC’s 9, 642 while in Billiri LGA, APC scored 15, 331 votes while PDP polled 21, 328 votes. Results for Funakaye and Akko LGAs are yet to be presented. Atiku however upset Buhari’s winning streak when he won the area councils in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The announcement of the results by Prof. Muhammed Liman, the collation officer for FCT, who is also the vice chancellor of Nasarawa State University, showed that PDP won in three area councils.
The PDP performed extremely well in Gwagwalada and Kwali Area Councils of the FCT. Relatedly, while Buhari and the ruling APC won convincingly in North Central states of Kwara and Niger, the opposition PDP is set to take over Benue State. As at press time, former governor Gabriel Suswam of the PDP was declared the winner of the Zone A senatorial district seat just as PDP’s Abba Moro won the Zone C Senate seat currently occupied by Senator David Mark. The zone comprises the people of Idoma ethnic nationality while Zone A clinched by Suswam is dominated by the Tivs.
However, Senator George Akume is struggling to hold on to his Zone B Senate seat with clear indications that he may lose it to Orke Jev of the PDP. The pattern of voting in the state showed that Buhari held sway in the Idoma-dominated areas while Atiku controlled the Tiv section. APC Clinches More Senate, Reps’ Seats In Kwara, Osun There was a major upset in Kwara State, where Senator Bukola Saraki, was defeated by the APC candidate.
Saraki who contested for the Kwara Central zone lost the election to Dr. Ibrahim Oloriegbe of the APC. The Senate President lost in three of the four local government areas which results were announced. They are Asa, Ilorin West, Ilorin East and Ilorin South. The PDP agent at the collation centre for the Kwara central senatorial district, Hon. Isiaka Magaji, rejected the result. Magaji refused to sign the result sheet at the collation centre situated inside INEC’s office, Ilorin. INEC also declared the candidate of the APC, Malam Mohammed Bio as the winner of the Baruten/Kaiama seat in the House of Representatives election.
The INEC returning officer, Prof. Lanre Olaitan, who announced the result on Sunday in Kaiama, headquarters of Kaiama local government area of Kwara State, said that the APC candidate polled 37, 914 votes to defeat the candidate of the PDP, Alhaji Abubakar Musa, who scored 14, 476. The PDP candidate, an immediate former chairman of the state branch of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) lost to an immediate former chairman of the Baruten local government area of Kwara. “That Mallam Mohammed Omar Bio having fulfilled the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of vote is declared the winner and hereby returned elected,’’ Olaitan of the Department of Human Kinetics and Health Education of the University of Ilorin, said.
With the declaration, APC has officially won three of the six House of Representatives seats from Kwara. INEC also declared Mr. Ajibola Bashiru of the APC winner of the Osun Central Senatorial District. The commission’s returning officer, Prof. Titilayo Kuku, who announced the results of the National Assembly election, declared the APC candidate as the winner with 132,821 votes. Kuku also announced PDP’s Ganiyu Olaoluwa, as the first runner-up with total votes of 106,779.
Kuku also announced PDP’s Ganiyu Olaoluwa, as the first runner-up with total votes of 106,779. The returning officer thereafter returned Bashiru of the APC as the elected senator to represent the district in the Senate. He said: “I, Prof. Titilayo Kuku, hereby certify that I am the returning officer for Osun Central Senatorial District election held on February 23, 2019. “That Ajibola Bashiru of the APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scoring the highest votes, is hereby declared the winner and returned as the senator to represent Osun Central senatorial district,’’ the official said. Similarly, the INEC returning officer for Irepodun/Olorunda/Osogbo/Orolu federal constituency, Prof. Olukayode Ashaye, announced Mr. Olubukola Oyewo of the APC as the winner of the House of Representatives seat.
Ashaye announced Oyewo as the winner of the election after scoring 66,933 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mr. Adebayo Adewale of the PDP, who scored 59,551 votes. He said: “I, Prof. Oluwakayode Ashaye, hereby certify that I am the returning officer for the Irepodun/Olorunda/Osogbo/Orolu Federal Constituency election. “That Olubukola Oyewo of the APC received the highest votes and having satisfied the requirements and scoring the highest votes is hereby returned elected.” Melaye Defeats Adeyemi in Kogi West Senator Dino Melaye bounced back to life last night as he won the Kogi West Senatorial District seat at the National Assembly. He defeated Senator Smart Adeyemi according to the result from INEC office in Lokoja. Of the seven councils in the district, Melaye won six local government areas. Melaye contested under the platform of the PDP while Senator Adeyemi contested under the umbrella of the APC.
Jubilation In Ekiti as APC Wins 3 Senatorial Seats Scores of APC members and supporters in some parts of Ekiti yesterday trooped out in large number to celebrate the outcome of Saturday’s elections. Former House of Representatives member and one-time Lagos State commissioner for Information, and APC senatorial candidate in Ekiti Central, Mr. Opeyemi Bamidele, won the senatorial seat in the state. His election was declared by the INEC presiding officer for the district, Prof. Jeremiah Omotola. The party also won additional House of Representatives seat through Sola Fatoba, who contested in Ekiti Central federal constituency (1). This brings the number of House of Representatives seats so far won by the APC to three, of the six available seats in the state. Serving Senator Biodun Olujimi of the PDP lost her re-election bid in Ekiti South Senatorial District to Prince Dayo Adeyeye of the APC. INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Laide Lawal, announced the result yesterday in Ikere. Adeyeye scored 77,621 votes to beat Olujimi, who is the minority leader in the Senate, she polled 53,741 votes. Similarly, the APC candidate Sen. Adetunmbi has been declared the winner of the Ekiti North Senatorial District poll. Adetunmbi polled 60,689 votes to defeat the incumbent Senator Duro Faseyi of the PDP who recorded 49,209 votes.
PDP Senatorial Candidate Leads In FCT The senatorial candidate of the PDP in FCT, Philip Aduda has won in three of the six Area Councils in Abuja. This was revealed in separate presentations of results by collation officers to the returning officer, Prof. Sani Saka in Abuja, yesterday. In Abaji Area Council, Aduda got 11,290 votes to beat his closest rival and APC candidate, Mr. Jisalo Zephania, who got 11,276 votes. In Kwali Area Council, the PDP candidate got 17,642 to beat the APC candidate who got 14,899 votes. Also, in Gwagwalada Area Council, Aduda got 29,567 to beat Zephaniah who got 22,318 votes. At the time of filing this report, results were still been expected from Abuja Municipal, Bwari and Kuje Area Councils.
Kalu Wins Abia North Senatorial Seat Meanwhile, Former Abia State governor, Chief Orji Uzor Kalu, has been declared the winner of Abia North Senatorial District. He polled 31,203 votes to defeat the incumbent Senator Ohuabunwa who got 20,801 votes and the candidate of the All Progressive Grand Alliance, Chief David Ogba, who scored 11,410 votes. The returning officer, Dr. Charles Anumodu, declared Kalu winner. However, Ohuabunwa in a statement by his campaign organisation has rejected the result. Senator Ohuabunwa in the statement signed by Mr Ukpai Ukairo said that there had not been a return on the Abia North senatorial election, pointing out that the true position was that results were still being collated. “It has come to our knowledge that INEC operatives in their haste to arrive at a pre-determined conclusion manipulated the electoral process to the shock of all well-meaning patriots who believe in democracy.
“In this respect, it is tragic that INEC could conduct an election without the issuance of form EC40G, a form used to capture cancelled votes and places where there was no voting. “In the circumstances of the above, we demand that the resident electoral commissioner in Abia State should to direct the returning officer of the Abia North Senatorial election to make declaration in accordance with the dictates of Rule 17E(e) of the guidelines for the conduct of elections issued by INEC by cancelling the elections completely”, Ohuabunwa said.
Dogara Retains House Of Reps Seat In Bauchi The Speaker House of Representative, Yakubu Dogara of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has retained his seat as member representing Bogoro/Dass/ Tafawa-Balewa Federal Constituency in Bauchi. Announcing the results of the just concluded elections, INEC Returning Officer in the constituency, Prof Mohammed Abdulhamid, said in Zwall, the collation centre, yesterday, that Dogara polled 73,609 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Alhaji Dalhatu Kantana of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 50,078 votes, and six other candidates. He commended the electorate for their orderly conduct, saying the exercise was transparent and hitch-free. With this victory, Dogara will be representing his constituency for the fourth consecutive time. He was elected for the first time in 2007 and has so far spent 12 years as member of the House. Before the results were announced, thousands of the citizens stayed glued to their television sets for updates on the conduct of the election and the results already collated and announced. Others held on to their radio sets listening to both local and foreign broadcasts on the Nigerian election, where President Muhammadu Buhari could have his mandate renewed or a new president emerged. The social media feasted on the situation as they published results from some polling units, wards and local government areas which were purportedly released by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the various levels. Still, others inundated media houses, including the LEADERSHIP, requesting for confirmation of the results being published in the social media and on online platforms of some national dailies.
