Winners of Saturday’s governorship election began to emerge on Sunday afternoon with the All Progressives Congress topping the Peoples Democratic Party in the results so far released by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
There were however still pockets of protests and killings in a few states even as the results were being announced and collation taking place in many other states.
The first to be officially announced victorious was Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun, who defeated PDP’s Ganiyu Isiaka. Amosun of the APC is therefore set for a second term in office.
The Gboyega Nasir Isiaka Campaign Organisation rejected the result of the governorship poll, saying it was “unfortunate and a travesty staged to help the APC achieve victory.”
It claimed that the outcome of the election was clearly not a true reflection of Ogun people’s wish and said that the result would be challenged as appropriate.
In the neigbouring Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, also of the APC became the first governor of the state to clinch a second term in office.
He defeated former governors, Rashidi Ladoja of the Accord Party and Adebayo Alao-Akala of Labour Party in the race.
While the governor polled 327,310 votes; Ladoja had 254,520 and Alao-Akala , 184,111.
APC’s candidate in Lagos, Akinwunmi Ambode, polled 811,994 votes to defeat PDP’s Jimi Agbaje,who scored 659,788 votes.
Agbaje accepted defeat and congratulated Ambode but the state PDP rejected the result, citing ‘controversial’ circumstances within which the elections were conducted in the state as reasons.
The media aide of the governor-elect, Idowu Ajanaku, told one of our correspondents on the telephone that Agbaje called to congratulate Ambode at 6.50pm on Sunday.
“Mr. Jimi Agbaje called at exactly 6.50pm to congratulate Mr. Ambode. He prayed for Mr. Ambode and told him that he was looking forward to a more prosperous Lagos, ” Ajanaku said.
Shortly after being declared winner, Ambode in his acceptance speech, extended his hand of fellowship to Agbaje by urging him to join in making Lagos a better place.
The governor-elect, who commended Agbaje for congratulating him , added that his government would not victimise those who voted against him.
He said, “To my main opponent, Mr. Jimi Agbaje of the PDP, I thank you for a keen contest and invite you, alongside other governorship candidates, to join hands with me in moving Lagos forward.”
Ambode also lauded the people of the state for voting him and the APC, adding that by aligning Lagos with the centre, unprecedented development would come to the state.
He gave special thanks to a former Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Governor Babatunde Fashola for believing in him.
Ambode said like former United States President, Abraham Lincoln, his government would be run “with malice toward none and with charity for all.”
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto); a former Speaker of the House, Aminu Masari (Katsina); and erstwhile Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir el-Rufai(Kaduna) also emerged victorious.
El-Rufai floored Governor Mukhtar Yero of the PDP.
The other APC governorship election winners are Governor Abdulfatai Ahmed (Kwara), Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi), Mohammed Abubakar (Bauchi), Ibrahim Geidam(Yobe) and Jibrilla Bindow (Adamawa).
Bindow handed Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, a former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission a shocking defeat.
Ribadu conceded defeat when results from most of the LGAs showed that he was trailing behind in results from the LGAs.
Ganduje, who is the current deputy governor of Kano State polled 1,546,434 votes. His PDP rival, Salihu Tokai had 509,726 votes.
The governorship candidate of the APC in Benue State, Samuel Ortom, raced to victory by polling 387,753 votes as against PDP’s Terhemen Tarzoor, who scored 296,189 votes.
Geidam polled 334, 847 votes to defeat Adamu Waziri of the PDP,who had 179, 700 votes.
PDP’s candidates Udom Emmanuel, Ibrahim Dankwambo, Dave Umahi, and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi triumphed in Akwa Ibom, Gombe, Ebonyi and Enugu states respectively.
Umahi garnered 289, 867 votes as against Labour Party’s Edward Nkwegu,who came second with 124, 817 votes.
Ugwuanyi polled 482,227 votes to defeat Okey Ezea of the APC, who got 43,839 votes.
Results from 16 out of 18 LGAs in Cross River State showed that the PDP candidate, Ben Ayade, was leading clearly.
From the results announced as of 11pm on Sunday, Ayade secured 283, 549 votes, while the APC candidate, Odey Ochicha and his Labour Party counterpart, Fidelis Ugbo, polled 52, 562 and 35, 848 respectively.
Imo State Governor and APC candidate, Rochas Okorocha, was clearly winning in 20 out of 27 LGAs in the state as of 8pm on Sunday .His PDP counterpart and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, was trailing behind.
INEC later declared the announcement of the results inconclusive.
The results of the election in Abia ended in a deadlock midway following the reversal of the cancellation of three council results by the Returning Officer, Prof. Benjamin Ozumba.
Ozumba had announced the cancellation of results from Osisioma, Obingwa and Isialangwa North Local Government Areas on the grounds of “incontrovertible evidence of violence’’ and reports from international observers.
The returning officer reversed the decision after Governor Theodore Orji-led chieftains of the PDP consulted with the Resident Electoral Officer, Prof. Selina Oko and Ozumba.
The governor was in company with the Minister of State for Defence, Col. Austin Akobundu(retd); the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh and Chief Onyema Ugochukwu .
Ozumba said the cancellation was reversed due to fresh information concerning the conduct of the election in the three councils.
He said that polling centres with issues would be isolated and decisions taken on them later.
The pronouncement heightened tension at the centre, leading to the adjournment of further announcement of results.
The controversial result from Osisioma, which had earlier been announced, showed that PDP scored 42,442 while APGA polled 1, 017.
Meanwhile, results from 10 LGAs have so far been announced.
In his reaction, All Progressives Grand Alliance governorship candidate, Alex Otti, described the governor’s appearance at the collation centre as ‘‘an abuse of power, designed to intimidate and exert undue influence on the electoral officials.’’
The PDP lost its grip also on Plateau State as its candidate, GNS Pwajok was defeated by APC’s Simon Lalong.
As of last night Lalong scored 537,050 votes while Pwajok had 501,938 votes.
Results from 16 out of 18 LGAs in Cross River State showed that the PDP candidate, Ben Ayade, was leading comfortably.
From the results announced by INEC, on Sunday, Ayade secured 283, 549 votes, while the APC candidate, Odey Ochicha and his Labour Party counterpart, Fidelis Ugbo, polled 52, 562 and 35, 848 respectively.
In Gombe State, Governor Ibrahim Geidam of the PDP had an easy ride as he coasted to victory by beating his APC counterpart, Inuwa Yahaya. He scored 285,369 votes while Yahaya had 205, 132 votes.
Also in Delta State, INEC adjourned further action on the results till 7am on Monday. Before then, PDP’s Ifeanyi Okowa was leading in 20 out of the 24 LGAs in the state.
There were earlier reports on Sunday that the APC had made history by producing the first elected female governor in Nigeria in the person of Jummai Aisha Alhassan of Taraba State. But as 12 midnight her reported victory had yet to be confirmed.
Source: Punch
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