By Godfrey AKON
The off-cycle governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states are yet to produce winners even as Governor Hope Uzodinma was announced winner of the Imo governorship elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, early hours of Sunday.
Incumbent governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Hope Uzodima, polled a total of 540,308 votes to defeat Sen. Samuel Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, who scored a distant 71,503 votes to emerge second, while the candidate of the Labour Party, LP, Athan Achonu, came third with 6,481 votes.
Declaring the result on Sunday in Owerri, the Returning Officer and Vice Chancellor of Federal University Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Prof Fashina Abayomi, said Uzodimma scored majority of lawful votes cast and met the constitutional requirement and therefore returned elected.
The governor floored a total of 16 opponents from 16 other political parties who participated in the contest to emerge winner; and his victory seals his re-election for a second term in office and barring any judicial upturn will be sworn in January.
Also, in Bayelsa State, where collation of votes was still ongoing as press time, the candidate of the PDP, So far, Bayelsa State Governor and the candidate of the PDP, Sen. Douye Diri, was in early lead.
The INEC adjourned the final collation of Bayelsa State governorship election results till Monday.
The commission’s head of voter education and publicity in Bayelsa State, Wilfred Igofah, announced this to journalists Sunday night, citing “challenges in collation of results in Brass and Southern Ijaw” local government areas.
Consequently, Mr Igofah said collation would resume by midday on Monday.
Timipre Sylva, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), hails from Brass, while his running mate, Maciver Joshua, hails from Southern Ijaw LGA.
Results from six out of the eight local government areas of the state have already been declared, placing Governor Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of other candidates in the election in five LGAs. Mr Sylva won only one of the six LGAs already declared.
In Kogi state, the candidate APC, Usman Ahmed Ododo, was leading on Sunday, according to official results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from 18 out of 21 LGAs in the state.
Ododo was leading in Adavi, Ajaokuta, Bassa, Ijumu, Kabba-Bunu, Kogi KotonKarfe, Mopamuro, Ogori Magongo, Okehi, Okene, Yagba East and Yagba West Local government areas.
According to the results declared by INEC from the 18 LGAs, APC was leading with 417,166 votes, the Social Democratic Party followed with 208,503, while People’s Democratic Party PDP was also following PDP with 41,925 votes.
Meanwhile, INEC has announced Saturday, November 18, 2023 as a new date for the conduct of fresh election in Polling Units where election was suspended on Saturday.
The commission said in a statement by its National Commissioner and Member Information and Voter Education Committee on Sunday, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, that
It has received an update from its Kogi State office regarding the suspension of election in some locations in the state where result sheets were completed before the commencement of voting.
“The most critical incident occurred in nine out of 10 Wards in Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area (LGA).
“We received reports of similar and other incidents in Adavi (5 Polling Units in Okunchi/Ozuri/Onieka Ward), Ajaokuta (5 Polling Units in Adogo Ward), Okehi (1 Polling Unit in Eika/Ohizenyi Ward) and Okene (5 Polling Units in Obehira Uvete Ward). Results from the affected Polling Units have been accounted for in Form EC40G for the four LGAs.
“However, in the case of Ogori/Magongo LGA, only the result of Oshobane Ward II with eight Polling Units and 2,264 registered voters has been collated.
“Election in the other nine Wards (Eni, Okibo, Okesi, Ileteju, Aiyeromi, Ugugu, Obinoyin, Obatgben and Oturu) involving 59 Polling Units and 15,136 registered voters remain suspended.
In line with Section 24(3) of the Electoral Act 2022 and Clause 59 of INEC Regulations and Guidelines on the Conduct of Elections 2022, fresh election will be held on Saturday 18thNovember 2023 in the affected Polling Units.
“The decision to hold fresh elections is subject to the Returning Officer’s determination of the application of the Margin of Lead Principle. However, this decision is without prejudice to our avowed commitment to follow the audit trail of personnel and materials to ascertain those who may have been complicit in undermining the process and apply appropriate sanctions where necessary,” the statement said.
The commission assured voters in Kogi State that their votes will continue to count and their wishes respected.
