Layi Olanrewaju, Ilorin
The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in Patigi state constituency bye-election in Kwara State, Adam Ahmed Rufai, has been declared the winner. The returning officer for the election, Dr Abdulazeez Ishola Musbau of University of Ilorin, declared Rufai the winner having polled t10,354 votes
The election, which was contested by six candidates from various political parties: AAC, ADC, APC, APM, NNPP, and PDP; the PDP candidate emerged runner up with 4,623 votes in an election adjudged to be peaceful and credible by the stakeholders and many participants.
According to the INEC returning officer for the election, “Adam Ahmed Rufai, of the All Progressives Congress, APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes cast is hereby declared the winner.”
Based on the INEC records, 43,695 voters registered in the constituency but it was only 15,654 voters that came out to vote during the exercise, representing per cent of total registered voters.
Adam Rufai, who defeated all the other five contestants including his major contender from the People Democratic Party, PDP, Mohammed Salihu Yahaya who happen to be his cousin from the same Lade ward was declared elected.
The elected lawmaker would replace his late brother Saidu Ahmed Rufai who died in December last year after a short illness will be representing Patigi constituency in the state assembly.
Reacting to the victory, the state Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Mrs Aisha Ahman Pategi, who is from the constituency said “the victory was a sign that APC is still much more on the ground in Patigi, although it was a mixed excitement because we lost a life in the late lawmaker but we give glory to the almighty Allah for this victory,” she said.