The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Tuesday, declared the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), retired Col. Kefas Agbu, as winner of last Saturday’s governorship election in Taraba State.
Agbu polled 257,926 votes to defeat the candidates of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) Prof. Sani Yahaya, who got 202,278 and Senator Emmanuel Bwacha of the APC who polled 141,592 votes.
The returning officer for Taraba, Prof. Muhammed Abdulaziz, declared the results.
He said:”the PDP candidate, having won majority votes and satisfied all requirements of the law is declared winner of the Saturday polls and returned elected”.
Meanwhile, the governor-elect Agbu has described his victory as a triumph of the people’s will.
Agbu, who said that the battle was a very tough one, noted that in every contest, there was bound to be a winner and a loser.
He urged all contestants to get onboard to build a Taraba of the future.
Governor Darius Ishaku, on his part, congratulated the Governor-elect and said that he was happy to be handing over to another PDP governor.
On Tuesday in Gusau, INEC declared Dr Dauda Lawal-Dare of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner of the 2023 Governorship election.
INEC Returning Officer, Prof. Kassimu Shehu, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Federal University, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, said Lawal polled 377,726 valid votes from the 14 local government areas.
Shehu said Lawal defeated Governor Bello Matawalle of the APC and the incumbent Governor of Zamfara State who scored 311,976 valid votes.
“I Prof. Kassimu Shehu of the Federal University Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State, certify that I am INEC Returning Officer for Zamfara State.
“That Dr. Lawal Dauda of the PDP, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is declared winner and returned elected,” Shehu declared.
In Rivers State, INEC declared PDP’s Candidate, Mr Siminalayi Fubara, winner of the governorship election.
Prof. Akpofure Rim-Rukeh, the State Returning Officer for INEC who declared the results on Monday at the INEC headquarters in Rivers, said that PDP scored 302,614 votes.
Rim-Rukeh, who is also the Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Petroleum Resources (FUPRE), Effurun, Delta State, said that Mr Tonye Cole, the governorship candidate of the APC, polled 95,274 votes to come second, while the candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Senator Magnus Abe, scored 46,981 votes and placed third.
He added that the Governorship candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mrs Beatrice Itubor, scored 22,224 votes to come fourth, Accord Party (A) scored 7155; Action Alliance (AA),1693; All Alliance Congress (AAC) 386; Action Democratic Party (ADP), 925; and Action Peoples Party (APP), 973 voted.
He also said that ADC scored 940 votes; ADP 925; APGA, 489; APM, 568; APP, 973; BP, 137; NNPP, 335; NRM, 2,258; YPP, 664; and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), 338.
According to Rim-Rukeh, “Siminalayi Fubara of PDP, having scored the highest votes and had the 25 per cent spread with satisfactory margin of lead, and having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared winner”.
Rim-Rukeh gave the state’s total number of registered voters as 3,537,190 and the number of accredited voters as 496,852
He said that the total votes cast were 494,604; total valid votes, 483,934 while the total number of rejected votes was10,670 in the election.
The breakdown of the results on local government areas, as announced by the local government Collation Officers, showed that the PDP candidate won in all the 23 Local Government Areas of the state.
In Plateau State, former Governor Joshua Dariye has congratulated Mr Caleb Mutfwang, the Governor-elect of the state over his victory at the poll.
Dariye congratulated Mutfwang of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) via telephone call on Monday in Jos.
He promised to pray and support the governor-elect toward the growth, development and progress of the state.
Dariye described Mutfwang’s victory at the poll as a collective expression of the people of the state.
”Hello Caleb, congratulations on your victory, this is a collective expression of the people that you deserve their mandate and you have earned their confidence; be arrest assured of our support, prayers and loyalty.
”I have said that I left Plateau better than I met it, you will leave Plateau better than myself, former Gov. Jonah Jang and the incumbent Gov. Simon Lalong, met it.
”May God give you all the wisdom that you need like that of Solomon so that you will leave gloring legacies that will bring Plateau back on the path of glory.
”Once more congratulation and best wishes,” Dariye said.
Prof. Idris Amali, the Returning Officer for the polls had declared Mutfwang as the governor-elect.
He said Mutfwang polled 525, 299 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Dr Nentawe Yilwatda, who scored 481,370 votes.
