Former Senate Minority Leader Senator Godswill Akpabio has lost his reelection bid.
Akpabio, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ikot Ekpene Senatorial district, secured 67, 487 as against 136, 373 votes for Chris Ekpenyong of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP).
Details shortly…
…as Akpabio loses bid to return to Senate
Presidential candidate of People’s Democratic Party (PDP, Atiku Abubabr has won 28 of the 30 local government areas in Akwa Ibom state.
Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) took two councils namely Mbo and Essien Udim, where Senator Godswill Akpabio hails from.
Elections in Udung Uko were canceled due to alleged violence and irregularities arising from snatching of ballot boxes, result sheets and card readers.
This is as a strong indication emerged Monday night that Senator Godswill Akpabio had finally lost his reelection bid to the senate to the PDP candidate, Engineer Chris Ekpenyong of the PDP.
Results from 8 out of the 10 local government areas that make up Ikot Ekpene senatorial district favoured the PDP senatorial candidate.
Akpabio won in Ikot Ekpene with a slight margin.
The INEC finally rejected the result from Essien Udim, Akpabio’s local government after it confirmed through the card reader that votes earlier allocated to Senator Akpabio was much more than the total number of accredited voters in the council area.
Speaking the resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini said elections in the state was generally peaceful despite pockets of violence evidenced in the destruction of INEC materials and attacks on the staff of the Commission by thugs working for the politicians.
‘’Those who are threatening our staff should stop it. The intimidation is getting too much. I am here to preside over the affairs of elections in this state. For the first time to ensure credibility of the elections, materials were deployed and there were destroyed and at a great loss to our country. The time to snatch ballot boxes and write results is over. If you can win, you will win’’, he said.
All Progressives Congress (APC) kicked against the result of the presidential election, calling for its cancellation over alleged electoral fraud.
Addressing the press after the collation of the results, Presidential Agent for APC, Bishop Samuel Akpan, alleged that the polls was fraught with irregularities and completely short of democratic norms.
State Party Agent, Umana Umana said, ‘’the position of our party is well documented. The whole process of collation is not satisfactory to our party. Votes buying were experienced all over the state. We hope that the umpire will take note of the grievances in our petition. We are talking about the integrity of the process. We are saying that the umpire to be seen to be fair to all concerns.
Similarly, Presidential Agent of APC, Arc Bishop Samuel Akpan also alleged votes buying and manipulation by PDP in connivance with INEC.
‘’Long before now, our party has been agitating that we do not have confident in the process. In addition, the outcome has proved now that there has been compromise arising from money that has changed hands. Akwa Ibom is an APC State and the people that made the PDP are now in the APC.
The results we are getting do not reflect the votes that we have. This is not the type of democracy that we want. We urge the federal government to rise and protect our democracy,’’ he said.
All Progressives Congress Presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari has won in Sokoto state with 490,333 votes against former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the People’s Democratic Party who scored 361,604 votes.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) state collation officer, Professor Muhammad Yahuza declared Monday evening.
The results is collated from across 23 LGs of the state.
Results for the Senate and House of Representatives in last Saturday’s election in Delta state started trickling out on Monday evening.
After a rather slow and tiring process, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) released some of the results in the Delta Central and South Senatorial Districts.
In Delta Central, the incumbent senator, representing the district, who is also the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, emerged winner, having polled 111,100 votes.
According to the Returning Officer of the contest, Professor Godfrey Ariavie, who called the results out in Ughelli, Omo-Agege defeated his closest opponent and candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Evelyn Oboro, who polled 99,422 votes.
Also, the candidate of the APC for the Ughelli North/Ughelli South/Udu Federal Constituency, Revd Ejiroghene Waive, was declared winner of the election, polling a total of 41,385.
Returning Officer of the contest, Dr. Igbinoba Eghosa, said Waive thrashed his closest candidates of the PDP, Hon Samuel Marierie, who polled 35,126 and the incumbent, Hon Solomon Awhinawhi, who is the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and polled 11,098 votes.
At the Delta South Senatorial District, results were yet to be released.
As at the time of filing this report, results for Warri Federal Constituency were still not fully ready.
Out of the three council areas of the constituency, only two had been ready as at 6:40pm.
Declaring those of Warri South and Warri North at Nana College, GRA, Warri, the Returning Officer for the constituency, Dr Samuel Osifo, said he was still waiting for results from Warri South-West.
In Warri South, the candidate of the PDP, Chief Thomas Ereyitomi, polled 23,016 against the incumbent and candidate of the SDP, Hon Daniel Reyeineiju, who scored 3,733, and the candidate of the APC, Mr Alex Eyengho’s 7,291.
In Warri North, PDP polled 25,788, against SDP’s 8,326 and APC’s 4,921.
The incumbent member representing Chikun/Kajuru Federal constituency, Rt. Hon. Umar Yakubu Barde has been reelected to represent his constituency for the fifth term.
Hon. Barde of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who is the minority whip at the green chambers garnered total votes of 92,547 to defeat his closest opponent Barrister Bashir Yahaya Wushiri of APC who scored 34,022 and Ekene Abubakar Adams of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) who polled 16,813 votes.
In the keenly contested election, Hon. Barde polled 69,416 votes in Chikun local government area and 23,131 votes in Kajuru local government area.
Barrister Wushiri of the APC scored 23,505 votes in Chikun local government area and 10,517 in Kajuru local government area.
Mr. Adams got 11,636 votes in Chukun local government area and 5,177 in Kajuru local government area.
Announcing the result at the collation centre at Kujama headquarters of Chikun local government area of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office, Professor Emmanuel Bamidele from Ahmadu Bello University Zaria, said, “Yakubu Umar Barde haven satisfied and scored the highest votes cast is hereby declared winner and returned elected.”
Candidates of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) in Kwara won all the three Senatorial and six House of Representatives seats in the state.
The official results of the elections were released to the News Agency of Nigeria by Jacob Ayanda, Head of Department, Voter education and Publicity on Monday in Ilorin.
The Senatorial seat for Kwara Central was won by Yahaya Oloriegbe who polled 123, 808 votes to defeat the incumbent Senate President Bukola Saraki that got 68, 994 votes.
Also the Kwara South seat was clinched by an Architect, Lola Ashiru who got 89, 904 votes to unseat the incumbent Sen. Rafiu Ibrahim of PDP that polled 45, 176 vote.
Umar Suleiman Sadiq became the Senator-elect for Kwara North Senatorial District with 98, 170 votes to defeat Zakari Mohammed of PDP that polled 33, 364 votes.
The House of Representatives seat for Ilorin West/Asa was won by Alhaji Abdulyekeen Alajagusi with 68, 585 votes to 42, 068 polled by Abdulrasaq Lawal of the PDP.
Abdulganiyu Cook Olododo emerged the Reps member-elect for Ilorin South/Ilorin East by polling 56, 496 votes to defeat Ayinde Mohammed of PDP who polled 27, 737 votes.
The Ifelodun/Offa/Oyun Federal Constituency seat was won by Tijani Kayode with 54, 401 votes as against 19, 449 votes polled by Olerinoye Tope of PDP.
The incumbent Reps member for Ekiti/Irepodun/Isin/Oke-Ero, Hon Olawuyi Abdulraheem of the APC polled 33, 386 votes to retain his seat by defeating his closest opponent, Bolade Rafiu of the PDP who got 22, 954 votes.
The House of Reps seat for Baruten/Kaiama was won by Mohammed Bio with 39, 914 votes to 14, 476 votes polled by Abubakar Musa of PDP.
Ahmed Ndakenne polled 58, 054 votes to secure the Patigi/Edu/Moro Federal Constituency seat by defeating Hassan Mahmud Babako of the PDP that got 19, 144 votes.
Minister of Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige on Monday absorbed the Independent National electoral commission (INEC) over certain irregularities experienced during elections.
He said the involvement of non-permanent staff of the commission makes it impossible for electoral irregularities not to be witnessed in any election.
Fielding questions from journalists at the INEC collation center in Awka, the Minister attributed most of the problems to the ad-hoc staff recruited for the exercise.
He said, “You see when we talk about INEC, I like to be fair to them. INEC has both permanent and ad-hoc staff.
“Lots of these problems emanate from the ad-hoc staff and you know they don’t owe deep loyalty to the commission.
“Government has tried to find a way around it by insisting they use federal government civil servants and lecturers in federal universities.
“So if these ones misbehave, they can be punished according to civil service rules.”
Ngige however canvassed for early training for the ad-hoc staff and continuous training for the permanent ones as a way of mitigating the challenge.
On the presidential results so far released by the INEC, the Minister said he was not surprised at the outcome, expressing confidence that President Buhari would be reelected.
“What else do you expect? We’re expecting to clear more states, especially those with big votes,” he asserted.
He however asked those who eventually emerge winners to be magnanimous with victory while those that lost should accept defeat in good faith.
He said, “We expect that as a game, those who lost will try next time, and for those who win to be magnanimous with victory.“
Stern-looking soldiers on Monday barricaded the road leading to office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, following a protest by hundreds of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members in the state.
PDP leaders, including members of the state Executive Council and National Assembly candidates of the party in the just-concluded general elections, led hordes of other party members to demand cancellation of results in some local government areas.
Clad in black attire, the protesters were stopped at the entrance of the road leading to Swali, where the INEC office is located in Yenagoa by two military Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) and other fully armed soldiers.
The protesters chanted solidarity songs until the Administrative Secretary of INEC in the state, Mr. Leberi Sampson, walked a few meters from the commission’s office to listen to their grievances.
Leaders of the protest were the state Chairman of the PDP, Cleopas Moses; Secretary to the state Government, Kemela Okara; Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Kombowei Benson; House of Representative member and senatorial candidate, Douye Diri, among others.
They lamented the elections in Bassambiri and some wards in Southern Ijaw were marred by violence, saying they failed the test of credibility and procedure established by the commission.
They complained the exercise in Nembe-Bassambiri was completely marred by violence and shootings alleging that opposition leaders in the area kidnapped some INEC officials and forced them to write the results.
They insisted that elections did not take place in Bassambiri and urged the commission to reject results that gave the All Progressives Congress (APC) victory in the area including Southern Ijaw.
In the results, the APC candidate for Brass -Nembe Federal Constituency, Israel Sunny-Goli reportedly won the candidate of the PDP, Marie Ebikake while APC Preye Oseke was said to have won the Speaker, Kombowei Benson, in Southern Ijaw Federal Constituency.
But the SSG, Kemela Okara, while reporting the alleged irregularities in the local government areas to INEC, said there was no election in the seven wards in Bassambiri adding the results for the wards were written by APC leaders.
Okara said a similar incident happened in Southern Ijaw wards 4, 12 and 16 and called on the commission to cancel the results and conduct fresh elections in the affected areas.
He alleged that soldiers were deployed in the affected areas to subvert the will of the people in connivance with APC leaders.
He said: “We want INEC to do the right thing. Your guidelines should guide everything.
“We have told you clearly that those guidelines were not enforced and that was why we came out.
“So, we trust that you will escalate the matters that had been raised. We expect them to be properly addressed so that we can resolve this matter in all those areas in Southern Ijaw and Nembe.
“Seven wards in Bassambiri and Southern Ijaw Ward 4, 12 and 16 were affected. Those results should be cancelled.
“We are ready to vote and we are confident that if given a chance to vote, we will test our popularity.
“In this case it is not acceptable that some people deem it fit to use military to subvert the will of the people”.
Reacting to their grievances, Sampson said INEC would accept results that failed to conform with the established standard of the commission.
He said: “I want to assure you that INEC Bayelsa State is a law-abiding institution. Our Abuja office is aware of every decision that we take here.
“I am in charge of INEC situation room as the administrative secretary and I report every single incident that happens to the chairman directly.
“As I leave here I am going to escalate this report to the chairman and I am sure he will give his directive on the next step to take.
“There are some results from presiding offices in some of the wards you are talking about.
“We are processing them. I have minuted it to the electoral officer in charge of those local governments and I have asked them to escalate it to the collation officer in line with our guidelines.
“It is only when that is done and INEC has come to announce the results officially, that is when you will know whether what we have done is in line with the principles and guidelines concerning this election or not.
“Lives have been lost. My EOs and officers were also held hostage. I know what the military did to rescue them. Give us the opportunity to do the right thing. Don’t take laws into your hand”.
President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has won in Ogun State, scoring 281,762 votes to defeat his main challenger, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who polled 194, 655 votes.
While Buhari won in 14 of the 20 Local Government Areas of Ogun State, Atiku floored the President in six Local Governments Areas.
The State Returning Officer for the Presidential election, Prof. Joseph Afuape, announced Buhari the winner of the Presidential Polls conducted in the state.
Afuape, who is the Vice – Chancellor, Federal University of Technology (FUTA) Akure, also gave total number registered voters as 2 336, 887, accredited voters as 613,397 while the valid votes cast stood at 564, 256.
According to him, 41,682 votes were rejected while the total number of votes cast stood at 605, 938.
A breakdown of the performance of the two leading candidates across the Local Governments revealed is as follow:
Ijebu – Ode LGA
APC – 12,850, PDP – 7,253
Ijebu North East
APC – 6,435, PDP – 5,149
Remo North LGA
APC – 5659, PDP – 6269
Ewekoro LGA
APC – 10,060, PDP – 5,101
Odeda LGA
APC – 10,049, PDP – 4,995
Abeokuta North LGA
APC – 22, 044, PDP – 8,528
Abeokuta South LGA
APC – 26, 462, PDP – 13, 853
Sagamu LGA
APC – 20,875, PDP – 16,532
Imeko – Afon LGA
APC- 6, 425, PDP – 6,689
Yewa South LGA
APC – 12, 934, PDP – 10,709
Ogun Waterside LGA
APC – 6,889, PDP – 8,262
Obafemi Owode LGA
APC – 16, 243, PDP – 7,938
Ikenne LGA
APC – 10,283, PDP – 8,708
Ado /Odo /Ota LGA
APC – 33,348, PDP – 20,352
Ifo LGA
APC – 23, 895, PDP – 8,968
Ijebu North LGA
APC – 13, 974, PDP – 16,196
Odogbolu LGA
APC – 10,130, PDP – 10,137
Ipokia LGA
APC – 14, 686, PDP – 12,313
Yewa North LGA
APC – 10, 434, PDP – 10,388
Ijebu East LGA
APC – 7,287, PDP – 7,315
The United States (U.S.) Ambassador to Nigeria, W Stuart Symington on Monday commended the peaceful conduct of last Saturday’s presidential and National Assembly elections across the country.
In a statement, the envoy said the preliminary report he got from the many observers groups that worked with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) showed that for a few isolated cases, the elections were peaceful.
Symington therefore urged the major political gladiators that signed the peace accord to prevail on their followers to eschew post-election violence.
He said: “I congratulate the tens of millions of Nigerians who stood patiently in long lines to vote this week and the hundreds of thousands who worked together with INEC to conduct the elections.
“As noted by many observer groups in their preliminary reports, this election was predominantly peaceful, and it was proof of the Nigerian people’s resolute commitment to choose their leaders.
“The peaceful achievement of millions was shadowed by the violence of a few. We extend our deepest sympathy to the families of those who lost their lives, and we urge all candidates to honor the Peace Accord they signed.
“All should convince those who support them to refrain from using force or violence to interfere with INEC.
“No one should break the law by announcing results before INEC does, or break the peace by claiming victory before the results are final.
“Everyone has a common interest in showing patience as INEC collates and announces the election results.”