The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate in Kaduna State, Hon. Isa Ashiru has won in his polling unit.
At the Kofar Fada Kudan ward, Kudan Local Government Polling Unit 01, PDP Ashiru scored 284, while APC’s Governor Nasir El-Rufai pilled 33 votes.
Six staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were kidnapped and later released in Lokoja, Kogi State during the state assembly election on Saturday.
The kidnapping of the staff was one of the incidents recorded during the election that was generally marred by violence.
The staff were kidnapped by armed thugs decked in fake police and army uniforms at the polling unit inside the Crowther Memorial College in Lokoja.
They were taken away in a van by their armed abductors.
The Director of publicity in Lokoja office of the INEC, Mr Ahmed Bimabo said the victims were released few hours later and were being medically examined at the Lokoja office of the commission.
He did not say whether the workers returned with the sensitive election materials and ballot boxes that were seized by the hoodlums as they were taken away.
Also in Ward D area of Lokoja , the election was marred by violence launched by thugs who invaded the area when the election was underway.
A witness said that voting took place in only in one out of the five polling units.
Hoodlums were also on the rampage at the workers village on Hassan Usman Katsina Road in Lokoja.
Masked armed hoodlums invaded the village and carted away ballot papers and sensitive election materials from the only polling unit in the area, amid gunshots.
At Ganaja village , a former Commissioner for information in the state, Mr Anthony Puke lost his bungalow and three cars, as they were set ablaze by hoodlums.
Puke is said to be a chieftain of the APC. Why the hoodlums attacked him was not so clear.
Also incidents of ballot box snatching were recorded during the election in Kabba/Bunu, Yagba West, Yagba East and Ijumu local government areas of the state.
Sunday Karimi, who represents Yagba federal Constituency in the House of Representatives described the election as sham.
” There is no need for future election . They have taken us back to the old days when crude ways and outright manipulation of figures were the order of the day,” he said.
Karimi lamented the use of armed thugs in fake police and military uniforms for ballot box snatching and arm twisting of traditional rulers to win election at all cost.
Meanwhile , the election has ended and results being collated at the ward level.
The turnout for the election was generally low but the card readers performed better than what happened during the Feb. 23 elections.
It was.also observed that the INEC made better preparations when compared with the Presidential and National Assembly elections on 23 February. ( NAN)
The presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar has won his polling unit.
The PDP polled 161 and 207 votes in governorship and House of Assembly elections respectively to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC) that got 99 and 76 respectively.
The APC had defeated PDP at the same polling unit during the presidential and National Assembly elections on February 23.
The results of Atiku’s Ajiya Ward 012 Polling Unit, Yola North Local Government Area, Jimeta, where the PDP presidential candidate voted on Saturday were listed thus:
Governorship: Invalid votes 4, SDP 1, GPN 1, ADC 51, APC 99, and PDP 161. House of Assembly: Invalid votes – 5, APDA 2, ADC 25, SDP 2, APC 76, and PDP 207.
On his part, the governorship candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Abdul-Azeez Nyako, lost his polling unit to the PDP.
At Nyako’s Gwadabawa Ward, State House 014 Polling Unit, opposite Deputy Governor’s Office, Yola North Local Government Area (LGA), PDP came first in the governorship poll with 123; ADC came second with 78 votes while APC occupied third position with 63 votes.
In the State House of Assembly elections results compiled by Presiding Officer Fari Abduljaleel Umar, PDP also led with 139 votes.
PDP was followed by ADC 63, APC 49, NPM 3, ANN 3, ANN 3, SNP 3, AAC 1, PCP 1, ADP 1 and PPN 1.
The PDP had by early Saturday evening appeared in the lead in unusual places, including the New Government House polling units where the PDP had led in all the six voting points announced by press time.
The Deputy Governorship candidate, Dr Obafemi Hamzat of the All Progressives Congress, has won his polling unit with a landslide.
His party scored 198 votes to defeat the PDP which scored 33 votes.
In the House of Assembly election, the APC also recorded 195 votes, while PDP scored 32 votes.
Miss Florence Zik, the Presiding Officer (OP), announced the result at the polling unit on Saturday, in Epe. (NAN).
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has began announcing the results of Saturday’s Governorship and State Assembly elections in polling units in Birnin Kebbi, the Kebbi capital.
The Governorship Candidate of All Progressives Congress, Gov. Atiku Bagudu has so far won in polling centres announced by INEC returning officers.
Bagudu scored 572 against Sen. Isa Galaudu Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate, who got 7 votes at Iyan Gwandu polling unit 012, Marafa ward.
In the State House of Assembly election, APC got 574 while PDP got 15, according to INEC Presiding Officer,Ogundeji Johnson, who announced the result.
In Nasarawa 2 polling unit 002, Gov. Bagudu of APC got 526 votes while Galaudi of PDP got 98.
In the state assembly, APC got 402 while PDP scored 203.
The Presiding Officer at the unit,Victory Omatsola, announced that invalid votes were 11 for the governorship and 10 for the state house of assembly.
In another polling unit 008 at GRA Kindi Zauro, Nasarawa ward in Birnin Kebbi, Bagudu scored 354 while Galaudi, scored 87 while in the state assembly, APC got 303 and PDP 104 votes.
The Presiding Officer, Fagbenro Hafizo, announced the result in the unit.
In Garkar Mai-Alelu polling unit 006, where the governor cast his vote, the APC received 745 votes against 23 garnered by the PDO in the governorship election while APC got 734 to PDP’s 23 votes in the assembly contest.
The Presiding Officer, Mubarak Muhammad, announced that invalid votes at the unit for governorship and state assembly were 11 each and a total 1,575 votes cast.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that other polling units are still collating their results.(NAN)
Following his alignment with the All Progressive Congress (APC) for the governorship election, the governorship candidate of the Action Democratic Party, Adebayo Alao-Akala was able to secure gubernatorial victory for APC in his unit.
In his area at Olukutun, Unit 13, Ward 7 in Ogbomoso north, APC won the governorship election with 201 votes while PDP and ADP had 82 votes and 23 votes respectively.
However, the former governor was able to deliver victory for his party, ADP in the House of Assembly election.
ADP led with 146 votes, while PDP had 70 votes and APC came third with 65 votes.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Cross River has confirmed the hijack of electoral materials in four local government areas of the state.
The local government areas are: Abi, Bakassi, Obubra and Etung.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Frankland Briyai, confirmed the development shortly after monitoring the voting process at some polling units in Calabar Municipality and Calabar South.
He said that report of hijack at Yakurr Local Government Area of the state was yet to be confirmed, noting that the commission would record zero scores in all areas where materials were hijacked.
“We have had cases of hijack of materials today. I got a call on hijack of materials in Abi, Bakassi, Obubra and Etung Local Government Areas.
“In Yakurr Local Government Area, I got a call concerning hijack of materials but I am yet to confirm that.
“I have said it before, if they deliberately refuse to make use of the card reader by hijacking electoral materials, the affected areas will score zero.
“Every Cross Riverian and politician is aware of this.’’
He, however, expressed satisfaction with high turnout of voters in some areas and applauded voters for their peaceful conduct during accreditation and voting.
“The security agents were doing their work accordingly in all the areas we visited and I must commend them for that,’’ he said. (NAN)
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr Adams Oshiomhole has expressed concern over alleged invasion of some polling units by suspected thugs in Edo.
The polling units, according to him are at Uluoke and Ogbido both in Etsako West Local Government Area of the state.
Oshiomhole disclosed this shorty after casting his vote at about 2:20pm in his polling Unit 1, Ward 10 in Iyamoh in Etsako West Local Government Area on Saturday.
He alledged that leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) brought thugs to distrupt the voting process in the area, adding that security officers had to restore normalcy before voting could continue.
“we have some few reported incidents. you know last week it was clear that the whole of this area was 99 per cent APC.
“” So I believe PDP leaders sent thugs to cause distruption in the next vilage where we got 99 per cent during last elections.
“They brought thugs and they started shooting to distrupt the process, unfortunately, the people are determined to vote, and I understand that voting has resumed.
“PDP leaders led the thugs to distrupt election at Uluoke and Ogbido with the same partern trying to cart away election materials again.
“But the youths in the area stopped them, I understand that the situation is under control in those locations, ” he said.
The national chairman said there was need for the military to be involved in election monitoring due to frequent snatching of ballot boxes and distruption of election processes by political thugs.
“That is why when some people are talking against or disputing the idea of deploying the military for elections, only enemies of democracy and enemies of peace will support that kind of campaign.
“Imagine when just two police men not armed in a polling unit, what can they do when thugs invade the polling centres with sophisticated weapons, they will watch helplessly.
“If not that we have the army that are on patrol, things would have gotten out of hands.
He, however, commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a peaceful process, adding that the commission did a perfect arrangement in ensuring that the was hitch-free.
Kaduna State Governor and All Progressives Congress (APC) gubernatorial candidate, Malam Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai has won his polling unit 024, Ungwar Sarki ward, Kaduna.
El-Rufai on Saturday garnered 367 votes at his polling unit, while his major contender, Hon. Isa Ashiru of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) polled 59 votes.
Abdullahi Sadiq, the Presiding Officer announced the results at the polling.
The All Progressives Congress in Edo State has won in polling units where results have been announced.
In Unit 3 Ward one Esan South East local government, the polling unit of Hon Victor Eboigbe, the APC had 193 votes while the PDP scored 25 votes.
At Aruokho in Owan East local government, the APC scored 133 votes to the PDP 64 votes in Unit 2 Ward 7.
The APC had 232 votes at Uvbe Primary school Unit 8 Ward 10
At the Itohan Centre, Ward 6, Ikpoba-Okha local government, the following results were recorded:
Unit 33 – APC 58, PDP 19
Unit 34 – APC 45, PDP 19
Unit 35 – APC 35, PDP 25
Unit 36 – APC 64, PDP 27
Unit 37 – APC 44, PDP 19
Unit 38 – APC 32, PDP 13
At Ikakumo Ward six in Akoko-Edo local government area where Speaker Kabiru Adojoto voted the results were:
Unit 14
APC -443
PDP-36
Unit 15
APC-430
PDP-9
In Unit one Ward one Oredo local government
APC-54
PDP-26
Unit two Ward one Oredo local government
APC -42
PDP-22
Unit 17 Ward two Oredo
APC-64
PDP-35