How Yahaya Bello won Kogi governorship

 

The Independent National Electoral Commission  has declared the substituted governorship  candidate of All Progressive Congress , Alhaji Yahaya Bello  as the winner of Kogi State Gubernatorial Election with Chief James Abiodun Faleke  the deputy governor in the Saturday concluded  supplementary election .

The Supplementary election took place in  91 polling units across the 18 local government areas of the state with over 49,000 registered voters, but only 13,000 voters  eventually came out to vote. The result was declared by 5.00 am on Sunday.

While announcing the result, the Returning Officer for the Gubernatorial Election,Professor Emmanuel Yenube Kucha disclosed that Yahaya Bello of  APC scored 247,752 the runner up, Captain Idris Wada of the Peoples Democratic PDP polled  a total of  204,877.

He disclosed that the total registered eligible voters in the state stands at 1,379,971, while  526,389 voters  actually accredited  for the gubernatorial election in the state.

Professor kucha explained that  the election was declared inconclusive a fortnight ago  in 91 polling units with a total of 49,953 registered voters as result of violence,stressing that the margin between the two leading candidates was less than the total votes cancelled in the affected polling unit across 18 affected local government areas in the State.

He said  the result of the  supplementary election has been merged with the previous result  with the All Progressive Congress  scoring a total Votes of 6,885 in the supplementary  while the Peoples Democratic Party scored 5,363 votes out of the 13,000 vote cast.

After careful additions of Figures, Professor Kucha  read out the result of each of the 22 candidates that contested the governorship election in the state as follows; Dickson F. Fred- Accord Party 206, Isah Yakubu AA 120, Ukwuanya Musa -ACD 480, micheal Abdullahi AD 168.

Others candidates  are Usman Zainab -ADC 707,Odoluku Cosmas Shalif -APA 1995, Yahaya Bello -APC 247,752, Akwu Umar Goodman- APGA 1040,  Yinka Jerry Oloruntoba -CPP 608,philip Ezekiel koleopla -DPC 465  Abdulahi Ibrahim- DPP 469.

The remaining contestants in the governorship election  are Ibrahim Adejoh-ID 179,Raji Ogirima -KOWA 136,Dr Philip Omeiza Ozovehe Salawu -LP 8761, NPC 531, NNPP 290,PDC 895, Captain Idris Ichalla Wada -PDP 204,877, Emaanuel Enesi Ozigi -PPA 3048, PPM 239, SDP 90 and UDP 107.

He pointed out that a total of 472,983 was recorded as valid votes,while rejected votes recorded was 21,740 and a total votes of 494,723 were cast in the election.

Professor Kucha also stated that a total of 3,342 votes was cancelled in four  local government areas such as Dekina 1 polling  unit,Ibaji 2 units, Lokoja I unit and Omala 1 unit.

While declaring the winner at the Collation centre for the supplementary election at exactly  5.00am at the  INEC headquarters in Lokoja   yesterday morning,the returning officer noted that Yahaya Bello has the highest vote in the just concluded election.


“I hereby certified that I was the returning officer for Kogi state governorship election . That Yahaya Bello of All Progressive Congress APC having  scored hIghest votes and is  hereby declared as winner,”he stressed

Meanwhile, the PDP agent for gubernatorial election, Honourable Joe Agada raised objection to why INEC has failed to display Yahaya Bello and his Deputy at INEC headquarters  in Lokoja.

Agada also drew the attention of INEC and all Officials that Yahaya Bello has no deputy following the withdrawal of James Abiodun Faleke.