Nasir el-Rufai, Aminu Masari, Ifeanyi Okowa, Ben Ayade have secured another term to governor Kaduna, Katsina, Delta and Cross River states respectively.

In the results announced yesterday by the Independent National Elctoral Commission (INEC), Governor El-rufai of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) led in 14 out of the 23 council areas to defeat Isah Ashiru of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) by 1,045, 427 to 814, 168.

However, the PDP state chairman, Felix Hassan Hyet rejected the result, saying it was doctored.

In Katsina State, the APC candidate, Governor Masari beat the main opposition candidate, Yakubu Garba Lado of the PDP in all the 34 local government areas.

The Returning Officer, Prof. Abdullahi Abdulmumini of the Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, said the APC polled 1,178,864 while the PDP candidate scored 488,621 votes.

But the PDP has since described the results as unacceptable.

Zulum is Borno gov-elect

In Borno State, Prof. Babagana Umara Zulum of the APC was declared governor-elect with 1,175,440 votes. His main challenger and candidate of the PDP, Mohammed Imam, polled 66,115.

Also in Yobe State, the APC won. Prof. Abubakar Musa Kundiri, who announced the results in Damaturu, said the former National Secretary of the party,  Mai Mala Bunu, scored 444, 013 while the PDP candidadte, Amb. Umar Damagum polled 95,705.

Okowa crushes Ogboru

However, the winning run of the APC was halted in Delta State where Governor Okowa secured a second term, as he crushed  Great Ogboru.

From the collated results, Okowa won 23 of the 25

It was Ogboru’s sixth consecutive gubernatorial loss to the PDP since he started contesting the position in 2003 under various opposition political party platforms.

Announcing the final results in Asaba, Prof. Serth Accra Jaja said the PDP candidate polled 925,274 to beat Ogboru who had 215,938 votes.

“I hereby declare that Ifeanyi Arthur Okowa of the PDP having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” Jaja declared.

Representatives of participating political parties signed the final result except the APC state agent, Prof. Arunaye Festus who rejected the results on allegations of over-voting, violence and gross violation of the electoral law.

local government areas. State chairman of PDP, Kingsley Esiso described the victory of Governor Okowa as victory for the people of the state.

Udom beats Ekere, 48 others in Akwa Ibom

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Mr. Udom Emmanuel defeated the APC candidate and former managing director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) Obong Nsima Ekere and 48 other contestants.

The incumbent governor and PDP candidate polled 519,978 votes to beat his closest rival who polled  171,712, a clear difference of 347,734 votes.

The state returning officer, Prof. Faraday Orumwense of the University of Benin, said Emmanuel satisfied all the requirements of the electoral law.

The results was, however, delayed for hours following late arrival of results from Essien Udim Local Government Area, home turf of former governor, Senator Godswill Akpabio.

However, the APC still won in the local government area with 6,938 votes as against the PDP which could only manage 2,161 votes. 

Ayade wins Cross River

With a win in all 18 local government areas and a margin of 250,323 votes, incumbent governor of Cross River State and candidate of the PDP, Prof. Ben Ayade secured a second term.

He polled 381,484 votes to defeat  the APC candidate who polled 131,161 and candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Mr. Eyo Ekpo with 4, 818 votes.

INEC returning officer and Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun, Warri, Delta State, Prof. Akii Ibhadode, declared the PDP candidate elected.

Sule wins Nasarawa

In Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule of the APC polled 327,229 to defeat Mr. David Ombugadu of the PDP who garnered 184, 281 votes while former information minister, Mr. Labaran Maku of APGA came a distant third with 132,784 votes.

INEC state returning officer, Abdullahi Bala, said out of 1,617,786 registered voters, 686,303 were accredited, adding that 670,879 valid votes and 10,521 voided votes were recorded.

The APC governorship candidate won in 11 out of the 13 local government areas, APGA and Zenith Labour Party whose flagbearer, Umar is son of late governor of the state, Dr. Aliyu Akwe Doma, won one each.

APC wins Zamfara

Alhaji Mukthar Shehu Idris of the APC is governor-elect of the Zamfara State.

APC won majority votes in all the 14 local government areas of the state.

The state Returning Officer, Prof. Kabiru Bala of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, said Idris scored  534,541 votes to beat Alhaji Bello Mohammed Matawalle of the PDP who polled  189,452 votes.

Wild celebration in Gombe

Supporters of the APC in Gombe State, yesterday, rolled out the drums to celebrate the party’s victory.

Alhaji Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya was declared winner of the keenly contested gubernatorial election with a margin of 141, 311 votes and 19 out of the 24 legislative seats.

 However, angered by the outcome of the governorship and House of Assembly elections in Niger State, PDP supporters on Sunday stormed out  of the collation centre at the INEC headquarters in Minna.

INEC had declared Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello of the APC winner after polling 526,412 votes as against Umar Nasko’s 298,065 votes.

The party also refused to sign the final results sheet for the governorship election.

A group of PDP women have also protested the outcome of the governorship  election. The women led by Hajia Talatu Salka, former member of the House of Assembly, Hajia Sadaatu Kolo and House Representatives candidate in the February 23 poll and Mrs. Dorothy Nuhu moved from INEC office in Minna to the state secretariat of the PDP from where they marched to the residence of the defeated PDP candidate.

They decried the conduct of the election and claimed INEC  was compromised in the conduct of the election.

AD candidates rejects Sanwo-Olu’s election

Candidate of the Alliance for Democracy (AD) in Lagos State, Mr. Owolabi Salis, has rejected Sanwo-Olu’s election.

He denounced the poll as sham, fraudulent and totally unacceptable and vowed to mount a legal challenge.

He claimed the election was marred by low turn out as a result of threat, violence, APC control of INEC officials, misuse of security personnel, multiple thump printing, and sundry illegality.

“A lot of miscounting was equally done against AD, making it look like the party do not have a voice,” he alleged.

He cited a situation where AD had 17 votes at a polling unit but had only four vote recorded for it. 

“ Where there is a record of illegality the person do not have right to such position according to the law.The poll was allegedly hijacked by hoodlums and unidentified uniform men during collation stage working for the ruling party, he said during the exercise the hoodlums were moving from one polling unit to another disrupting the process in vehicles aided by uniform men.  

Salis said the results declared was hijacked, compromised and did not reflect the people’s wish.

“The people of Lagos State have been denied, ripped-off of their future. I will explore every legal  means to undo the injustice. Lagos must be freed from systemic  slavery it has endured in the hands of certain individuals.”