INEC declares Yahaya Bello of APC winner of Kogi governorship election

The Independent National Electoral Commissioner has declared Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress the governor-elect of Kogi State, after yesterday’s conclusion of the governorship election declared inconclusive on November 22.

Immanuel Kucha, the Returning Officer, declared Mr. Bello winner at 5.26 AM on Sunday, ending a collation exercise that started 11.06pm on Saturday.

Saturday’s Supplementary election held in 91 polling units across 18 local government areas.

The supplementary poll did not hold only in three local government area, which are Mopa, Ogori Magogo and Yagba East.

The election was declared inconclusive after the margin of win between PDP and APC was less than the number of registered voters in the 91 polling units where election was cancelled.

According to the results declared by Mr. Kucha, Vice Chancellor, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, the APC garnered 6,885 votes in the supplementary election, bringing the total votes it received to 247,752, having polled 240,857 in the November 21 election.

The second runner up, the Peoples Democratic Party and its candidate, Idris Wada, who is the incumbent governor, scored 5,363 in the supplementary election.

Thus, PDP polled a total of 204, 877 votes, having had 199,514 at the November 21 election.

“That Yahaya Bello of the APC, having satisfied the requirement of the law and scored the majority is hereby declared winner,” Mr. Kucha said.

Mr. Bello, 40, emerged APC candidate for the supplementary election, after the demise of Abubakar Audu on November 22. The deceased won the APC primary election, with Mr. Bello was first runner-up.

A total of 1,379,971 voters were registered for the election but only 526,389 were accredited.

After the merger of the substantive and the supplementary elections, Mr. Kucha announced the total number of valid votes to be 472,983; rejected votes as 21740; and total votes cast as 494723.

A total of 3,342 votes were cancelled.

The supplementary election was generally peaceful and calm, albeit characterised by low turnout of voters.

However, in few places like Etiaja junction, Anyingba ward, Dekina LGA, Olla ward in Ijumu LGA, Akpanyo and Ayah wards in Ibaji LGA, and Kupa Northeast, election was cancelled due to various reasons, including violence, snatching of election materials and over-voting.

Meanwhile, the National Electoral Commissioner, supervising the Kogi election, Amina Zakari, stated that Abiodun Faleke could not withdraw himself as the deputy givernorship candidate of APC.

Ms. Zakari said this before the commencement of collation of results of the supplementary election.

She was reacting to a question by PDP agent, Joe Agada, who called attention to Mr. Faleke’s withdrawal letter to INEC.

Ms. Zakari, a former acting chairperson of INEC, said Mr. Faleke was “the name provided by the party.”

“Candidate’s letter is not enough to withdraw himself,” she said.

She, however, advised the PDP agent to seek redress in court.