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Elections results released so far show some elements of surprises in different parts of the country
By Olu Ojewale
MORE than 48 hours after going to the polls to elect a new president and members of the National Assembly, results of the elections have been trickling in with a measure of surprises in certain states.
As expected the two leading candidates in the presidential election are President Muhammadu Buhari and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. So far, the two candidates have shown their strength in certain parts of the country. According to results shown so far, Buhari is the surprise winner in Kwara and Nasarawa states.
Buhari won Nasarawa for the first time since 2003 defeating Abubakar by 37,896 votes. The results collated by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in Lafia, the state capital, showed that Buhari polled 279,315 votes to defeat Atiku who polled 241,419 votes.
Buhari apparently defeated the political machinery of Bukola Saraki, the Senate president, by winning the presidential election in Kwara State. The president won the state with 308,984 votes as against Abubakar’s 138,184 votes in the state.
Perhaps, one of the biggest surprises of all the elections so far is that of Bukola Saraki, the president of the Senate, who lost his re-election bid in Kwara State. Saraki, the candidate of the PDP, lost to Yahaya Oloriegbe of the APC in the contest for the Kwara Central Senatorial District. Oloriegbe polled a total of 123, 808 votes to defeat Saraki who polled 68, 994 votes in the four local governments of Kwara Central Senatorial District.
In the same vein, Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State and the candidate of the APC, lost his bid to return to the Senate after losing to Kola Balogun of the PDP. The governor polled 92,218 votes while Balogun got 105,720 votes.
Another big loser is Victor Umeh of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, who was defeated by Uche Ekwunife of the PDP in the Anambra Central Senatorial election. Ekwunife, a female politician, who was once at the National Assembly for the APGA between 2010 and 2014, beat Umeh, the incumbent senator. She polled 18,412 to humble Umeh, who received 14,403 votes. Sylvester Okonkwo, the APC candidate came third with 1,144 votes.
Another surprise winner in Anambra State is Ifeanyi Ubah of the Young Progressive Party, YPP, who emerged as the Anambra South Senatorial seat. Ubah polled 87,081 votes to defeat Chris Uba; Andy Uba and Nicholas Ukachukwu, the candidates of the PDP, APC and APGA, who polled 52,462; 13,245 and 51,269 votes, respectively. It was no doubt a great upset for Andy Uba, the incumbent senator, representing the APC.
Speaking to newsmen shortly after the results were announced at the secretariat of Nnewi North Local Government, by M.N. Umenweke of the Faculty of Law, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Ubah dedicated his victory to the people of the senatorial zone as he pledged his best for the task ahead.
Ubah left the APGA for YPP after he was disqualified for the primary election of the party to pave way for Bianca Ojukwu, the wife of the late leader of the party, who also wanted to contest for the Senate seat.
In Kaduna State, Shehu Sani, the Senator representing Kaduna Central, similarly lost in his bid to return to the Senate. Sani, who represents Peoples Redemption Party, PRP, lost to Uba Sani of the APC and Lawan Adamu of the PDP.
According to election results, Uba Sani of the APC won the senate seat by clinching 167,373 votes, Adamu came second with 73,396 votes, while Shehu Sani, the incumbent senator, representing the district, placed third with 11, 799 votes.
Sani, who spoke with journalists in his house in Kaduna, alleged that the exercise was full of irregularities and massive rigging.
Notwithstanding the hullabaloo which attended his senatorial ticket, Rochas Okorocha, the incumbent governor of Imo State, has won the senatorial seat for Imo West Senatorial zone. Ibeawuchi Francis, the collation Officer, announced Okorocha winner, after he polled a total of 97,762 votes to defeat Jones Onyereri, his closest rival, of the PDP who scored 63,117 votes.
Another incumbent governor, who won a senate seat is Ibikunle Amosun, who emerged as senator-elect of Ogun Central Senatorial district in Ogun State with 88,110 votes. He defeated Titi Oseni, his closest rival and candidate of the ADC, who polled 37,101 votes.
Ayinde Akande, the returning officer, made the announcement Monday, February 25, at Centenary Hall, Ake, Abeokuta, Ogun State. “That [Amosun] Ibikunle of APC having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” Akande said.
Amosun was a former senator, representing Ogun Central senatorial district before becoming a governor in 2015.
After several attempts, Orji Uzor Kalu, the former governor of Abia and candidate of the APC, has emerged as the senator-elect for Abia North. Charles Anumodu, the returning officer for the senatorial election, on Sunday, February 24, declared Kalu the winner. Kalu polled a total 31,203 votes to defeat Mao Ohuabunwa, the incumbent senator of the PDP, who polled 20,801 votes. David Ogba, the candidate of the APGA, who came third, scored 11,410 votes.
In any case, Ohabunwa wants the cancellation of the Abia North elections result, alleging some irregularities. An online medium reported 10 youths were arrested in Abia State for allegedly attempting to snatch ballot boxes. The youths were arrested at different locations in Bende local government area of the state.
That notwithstanding, Mohammed Adamu, the acting inspector general of Police, IGP, commended Nigerians for the massive turn-out, and the largely orderly conduct of most Nigerians in the elections. The IGP also commended personnel of the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies for the sacrifices made towards the successful conduct of the elections.
Notwithstanding, he noted a few unfortunate incidents, including loss of lives recorded during the elections, but concluded that the exercise as a generally successful one.
According to the Police 128 persons were arrested across the country for various electoral offences ranging from homicide-related crimes, vote trading, ballot box snatching, impersonation, malicious damage, amongst others; while 38 assorted weapons and a cache of explosives were also recovered. Consequently, the IGP has directed the Special Election Investigation Team, SEIT, to immediately commence discrete investigation of all security related infractions during the election and ensure that all persons found culpable are brought to book in accordance with the law.
The IGP has, however, expressed deep concerns over continuous use of hateful and inflammatory comments capable of inciting Nigerians against one another, especially by politicians and their followers. He therefore warns that while the Force is not in the business of censoring Nigerians or abridging their constitutional rights of freedom of speech, it will not hesitate to rein in the full wrath of the law on any person(s) found wanting in this regard.
In a similar vein, the IGP, while noting that only the INEC is authorised by law to announce election results, warned all those, especially the social media users, engaging in unlawful announcement and dissemination of election results to desist forthwith or be ready to face the consequences of their actions.
Nevertheless, the two major parties at each others’ jugular with various accusations of manipulation and outright rigging of elections.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the APC has raised an alarm, alleging that the PDP is plotting to stop the announcement of the results of the presidential election. Festus Keyamo, the party’s campaign council spokesman, in a statement on Sunday, February 24, alleged that plans had been concluded by the opposition party to scuttle the nation’s democracy by obtaining an exparte court order stopping the announcement of the results.
“We understand that a meeting was held today with a group of senior lawyers who were instructed to prepare and file the processes in court on Monday, February 25, 2019,” the statement claimed.
It further stated: “Alhaji Atiku Abubakar was clear in his brief to the lawyers that he must be declared the president-elect of Nigeria by hook or crook, whether he wins or loses, or else he would drag the country down with him.”
Recalling that a similar court order during the June 12, 1993 election brought Nigeria to its knees and caused the country international isolation, APC noted that the court order was obtained by a group called Association for Better Nigeria headed then by Authur Nzeribe.
“However, results trickling in from around the country have dampened his optimism,” the APC said.
It alleged, “This has prompted his instructions to his campaign organisation, especially his spokespersons to continue to issue statements, making false claims of ‘victory’ when there is no single scientific basis for such claims.
“For instance, as brazen as they are to claim victory, they have not pointed at one single presidential election result in any single unit in the whole country where they scored a particular figure with a result sheet duly signed by their agent that was subsequently changed at a collation centre.”
The ruling party stated its support for the legal process of declaring presidential election results to take place peacefully, and in an orderly fashion.
The APC said, “For us our position is very simple and straight forward: we wish to allow the legal process of declaring presidential election results to take place peacefully and in an orderly fashion.
“President Buhari is not desperate, but is very confident of victory.”
On its part, the PDP has accused Buhari’s men of allegedly forcing the INEC to manipulate results in some states.
The party insists on the results already delivered at the polling units for Abubakar and cautioned that Nigerians will not accept any figures except what was declared and collated from the polling units.
Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP national publicity secretary, in a statement said the party was aware that the Buhari Presidency was mounting pressure on the INEC and dispatching officials to change results in Rivers, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Kogi, Bauchi, Cross River, Borno, Yobe and Edo states among others, in a frenzy to allocate fictitious figures for the defeated president. It said: “Pathetically, the Buhari Presidency is also threatening the South-East state governors to change results and carve a 25% for Mr. President, a scheme that has already failed.
“In Bauchi State, we are aware of the plots to move thump-printed ballot papers and fabricated results from Bauchi to Dass Local Government Area to upturn PDP’s victory in the results already delivered and announced at the polling units in the area.
“This is why the electoral officials have been delaying moving the results for final collation and announcement. If this plot fails, the APC plans to void the results for Dass.”
Nevertheless, Nigerians are looking forward to see who emerges as president for another four years as INEC continues to announce results of the elections.
– Feb. 25, 2019 @ 16:45 GMT |
Tags: Senatorial Elections Surprises in 2019 Presidential
