It was victory and tragedy for the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kogi State on Sunday as the party led Saturday’s governorship election results’ table.
The APC candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu, got
240,867 votes, followed by Governor Idris Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with 199,514 votes. The margin between the two candidates was 41,353.
The election was, however, declared inconclusive following the cancellation of the results of the poll in 91 polling units which amounted to 49,453
But a few minutes after the announcement by the Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Emmanuel Kucha, Audu’s death was announced.
He would be buried on Monday in his hometown.
Audu reportedly died after a brief illness.
The atmosphere in the North-Central state was charged as people, especially APC members, could not believe his death.
It was a huge shock to them.
Audu was said to have had a massive stroke around 3.10 pm, leading to his death.
Announcing the cancellation on Sunday in Lokoja, the state capital, Kucha said that INEC took the step because the 49,453 registered voters in the affected polling units in 18 local government areas were more than the difference between the votes of the two leading candidates.
The officer said since 49,953, the number of registered voters in areas where elections were not held, was more than 41,353 representing the difference between votes polled by APC and PDP candidates, the election was declared inconclusive.
He said that the cancellations were due to insecurity, ballot boxes snatching recorded in Adavi, Ofu, Ajaokuta, Bassa, Ankpa, Dekina, Ibaji, Idah, Okehi, Okene, Omala, Olamaboro, Yagba-West, Lokoja, Kogi, Kabba/Bunu, Igalamela-Odolu and Ijumu local government areas.
Kucha said that a supplementary election to determine the winner between Audu and Wada would be held in due course.
He explained that the decision to declare the election inconclusive was in compliance with the provision of the Electoral Act.
Kucha, who is the Vice-Chancellor of Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, Benue State, said that INEC was expected to conduct the supplementary election in the affected units within one week as provided by the Electoral Act.
He announced that only 511, 648 out of 1, 379,971 registered voters in the state were accredited to vote in the election.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday said it would react to the election, declared inconclusive by INEC, after getting facts about the election.
The National Publicity Secretary of PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh, stated this in in Abuja, shortly after the election was declared inconclusive.
Metuh said that “the party always wants to make informed reaction based on verifiable evidence on what went on during the election.
“We don’t rush to make reactions, we make only informed reactions. Our reaction will be based on what is on ground and verifiable evidence that we have.
“We are still compiling evidence, we are still making enquiries; we are still keeping in touch with our people on the ground in Kogi.
“It is only when we finish all these that we can take informed decision and we announce it to the public.
“We don’t just get up and react; No, it is too early to react.’’
Below is the full result
Okehi LGA
PDP 8504
APC 10170
MopaMuro LGA
PDP 4195
APC 3888
Ogorimagongo LGA
PDP 2601
APC 1931
AJAOKUTA
PDP 6903
APC 8581
ADAVI
PDP 11902
APC 15636
Kogi Kotonkarfe
PDP 9316
APC 10426
IJUMU
PDP 6040
APC 9958
OKENE
PDP 15968
APC 14786
YAGBA WEST
PDP 7021
APC 7930
YAGBA EAST
PDP 5368
APC 7129
IDAH
PDP 6952
APC11779
KABBA/ BUNU
PDP 7768
APC 9659
OMALA
PDP 10517
APC9228
OFU
PDP PDP 10997
APC 16800
ANKPA
PDP 14731
APC 22983
Olamaboro
PDP 8202
APC 13227
IGALAMELA / ODOLU
PDP 8683
APC 9003
BASSA
PDP 9258
APC 11815
LOKOJA
PDP 12414
APC 13517
DEKINA
PDP. 21604
APC 20994
IBAJI
PDP 10572
APC 11427
Total PDP 199514
APC. 240867
APC won with a difference of 41,353
