Desmond Mgboh, Kano
Kano State Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has returned Alhaji Abdumumuni Jibrin Kofa as the winner of the National Assembly election for Kiru/Bebeji federal constituency amid controversy.
INEC’s Returning Officer for Kiru/Bebeji Federal Constituency, Professor Bello, Idris Tijjani, said that Abdumumuni Jibrin Kofa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) received a total of 41, 070 votes to win the poll.
But an agent of the PDP candidate insists that his candidate won the election.
Announcing the result at the headquarters of the commission in the state, INEC added that the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ali, Datti Yako, received a total of 40,070 votes to come second in the elections.
The Returning Officer for the poll said the announcement of the elections in the constituency was suspended in the wake of the security threats during the conduct of the polls on Saturday.
The Administrative Secretary of the Independent National Electoral Commission in the state, Alhaji Jibrin A Musa explained that their headquarters had given approval that the result is declared at the state headquarters following the reported threat to security in the affected area.
A mild drama, however, erupted at the point of the declaration of the result as the agents of the Peoples Democratic Party, rejected the result, saying their party was robbed in broad daylight by INEC.
A visibly aggrieved agent, Bashir Illyasu, revealed that INEC canceled the results of six polling units in the election in the constituency, noting that there were well over 700 registered voters in the affected polling units.
He said that if the canceled results of the six polling were included in the collation, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) would have been returned as the winner of the election. He vowed that they are heading to court.