Hope Rises For 'Mama Taraba' As INEC Declares Taraba Governorship Poll Inconclusive

The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared Saturday’s governorship election in Taraba state inconclusive.

INEC Returning Officer for the election, Professor Muhammad Kariey, said there has to be a supplementary election because the total number of votes rejected and cancelled were more than the total votes with which the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Darius Ishaku, led the runner-up, the All Progressives Congress’ Aisha Al-Hasan.

According to the returning officer the difference between the PDP and the APC is 63,817, while the rejected votes from some troubled areas are over 100, 000 votes.

He said a supplementary election must be held within 30 days.

PDP had scored a total of 317,198 votes to APC’s 262,386.

Reports say the elections in Donga, Wukari and Zing local governments were cancelled following alleged irregularities.

The Taraba governorship election is one of the most keenly contested, and perhaps the most watched by Nigerians because one of the leading candidates is a woman.