It was protest galore Sunday as results of Saturday’s off-season governorship elections in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa states trickled in for collation preparatory to the final announcement of winners.
While feelers from Bayelsa indicated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was in the lead as at the time of this report, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate and Imo state Governor Hope Uzodinma as winner of the election in Imo state.
Similarly, Usman Ododo of the APC emerged winner in Kogi state.
Imo
According to the results, Uzodimma cleared all the 27 local government areas of the state.
Announcing the results Sunday morning at the collation centre, INEC Returning Officer for the state, Prof. Abayomi Fasina, said the APC candidate won with 540,308, votes while the PDP’s Samuel Anyanwu came a distant second with a total of 71,503 votes.
Fasina, who is also the Vice-Chancellor Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti state, also announced that Athan Achonu of the Labour Party (LP), polled 64,081 votes to come third in the election.
And coming fourth was the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) standard bearer, Anthony Ejiogu, who scored 6,392 votes, while Jack Ogunewe of the Action Alliance (AA) placed fifth with 5,756 votes.
“I, Prof. Abayomi Fasina, I was the Returning officer for the Imo state governorship election held on November 11, 2023. That the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Good Hope Uzodimma, having scored the highest number of votes and satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner of the election and returned elected,” declared the state’s RO.
Kogi
And in Kogi state, Ododo, the APC candidate, was declared the winner of the election.
Ododo garnered 446, 237 votes to defeat his closest rival, Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) who polled 259,052 votes, while Dino Melaye of the PDP came a distant third with 46,362 votes.
INEC Returning Officer for the exercise, Prof. Johnson Urame, announced this late Sunday night.
Declaring the winner, Professor Urame said Ododo, “having satisfied the law hereby declared as the winner of the Kogi state governorship election.”
The LGAs where election results had been collated and declared included Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ankpa, Bassa, Dekina, Idah, Ijumu, Kabba-Bunu, Kogi, Mopamuro, Ofu, Okehi, Okene, Olamaboro, Omala, Yagba East and Yagba West, while the results from only one ward in Ogori Magongo LGA was received and announced.
From the results of the 21 LGAs declared by INEC, Ododo won Ajaokuta, Okene, Okehi , Adavi Ogori-Magongo, Lokoja, Ijumu, Kabba-Bunu, Yagba West , Kogi/ Koton-Karfe, Mopa-Moro and Bassa while the SDP candidate Yakubu Ajaka won in Ofu, Idah, Olamaboro, Igalamela-Odolu, Dekina, Ankpa, Ibaji and Omala local government areas of Kogi state.
Leke Abejide of the ADC won only in Yagba East LGA.
Speaking after the declaration Ododo thanked all the people that contributed to his victory and promised to lead as a servant-leader whose door would be open to all and sundry irrespective of religion and tribe.
INEC had initially contemplated declaring the exercise inconclusive following some perceived electoral irregularities in some polling units, especially in Ogori Magongo local government area, where the exercise was put on hold.
But the electoral body had clarified that the contemplated fresh elections were subject to the determination of the application of the Margin of Lead Principle by the Returning Officer for the governorship election exercise. The said rerun was to allow some 15,136 voters exercise their franchise.
But with the margin of lead between Ododo and other contestants surpassing 15,136, the APC flag bearer was announced winner and thus emerged Kogi governor-elect.
Meseko congratulates Ododo
Congratulating Ododo on his victory, the APC deputy national publicity secretary, Durosinmi Meseko, in a statement Sunday night said: “My dear brother, may I heartily congratulate you on your election as the Governor of Kogi State. This is a truly remarkable achievement and a testament to your innate skills, dedication and trust that the people of Kogi state have placed in you.
“We have been following your journey closely and we are impressed by your vision and plans for the development and progress of Kogi State. Your commitment to see to the wellbeing of the people as well as your focus on infrastructure, education, healthcare and job creation is truly commendable. We are confident that under your leadership, Kogi State will reach new heights of prosperity and excellence.
“Your election as Governor is not only a testament to your own capabilities but also reflects the wishes and aspirations of the people of Kogi State. They have chosen you to lead them into a brighter future and we have no doubt that you will work tirelessly to fulfill their expectations.
“As an AI-driven platform we firmly believe in the power of technology and innovation to drive positive change. We are excited to see how you harness these tools to bring about progress and development in Kogi State.
“Once again, congratulations on your well-deserved victory. I wish you great success, good health and wisdom as you embark on this important journey as the Governor of our dear State. We look forward to witnessing the positive impact you will make in the lives of the good people of this state.”
Protest galore
Protesting the outcome of the Imo governorship results at a media parley Saturday, Senator Anyawu, the PDP candidate, and that of LP, Senator Achonu, alleged election malpractices.
They therefore called for the cancellation of results from those areas where ballot box snatching and violent activities occurred during the exercise.
Speaking to journalists in his Amaimo, his hometown in Ikeduru LGA, Anyawu said: “Agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC) snatched ballot boxes from different polling booths in my area and burnt two of my vehicles. They also shot my boys who tried to resist them while they were carting away the ballot boxes. The people who did that were Akarachi Amadi who is in the House of Representatives and the lawmaker representing Ikeduru State Constituency in the State House of Assembly, JohnLeo, whose ID card fell down in the process and was picked by policemen.”
Similarly, Senator Achonu accused the leader of Tiger Base Security outfit of the Imo State Police Command of leading the gang that was snatching ballot boxes and beating up people in Ideato and other Orlu areas.
He also expressed dissatisfaction that APC agents were allegedly involved in vote-buying in most of the polling units in the state and that INEC’s ad-hoc staff were unable to upload results in some booths clearly won by the LP, like in the Umunumo, Ehime Mbano area.
While questioning what he called the desperation of the ruling party in the election, they vowed to raise a petition to that effect and expressed optimism that they would have won if INEC did the right thing.
Kogi
SDP wants results cancelled
And with the present scenario, the SDP agents, while alleging irregularities, are calling for the cancellation of the results in the central senatorial district where the APC garnered substantial votes.
Presenting the petition to the State Returning Officer, Johnson Urama, the SDP agent, David Edibo, said his party did not accept the outcome of the election in the five local government areas in the senatorial district, where Governor Yahaya Bello and Ododo both hail from.
However, the APC agent, Idris King objected once again to the petition by the SDP.
He described the SDP as bad losers in what the ruling party called free and fair poll.
In a similar protest, the PDP agent in the state, Abubakar Mahmood, alleged over-voting during the election.
Diri leads in Bayelsa
And from Bayelsa state came the report that Governor Douye Diri of the PDP, was in the lead by 64,106 votes in the results so far declared Sunday in the six out of the eight LGAs by the electoral commission.
Diri, as at the time of this report, had scored a total of 137,909 votes so far declared, winning in five of the six LGAs.
They are Kolokuma/Opokuma, Ogbia, Yenagoa, Sagbama and Ekeremor, with his closest rival, Timipre Sylva of the APC, wining in only Nembe LGA, and trailing with 73,503 votes.
And in the midst of all this, the APC candidate also suffered a huge setback following the cancellation of over 24,000 controversial votes purportedly recorded in Ward 11,12 and 13 of Mini, Ikensi and Oluasiri in Nembe LGA.
The cancellation followed the protest by stakeholders, particularly PDP members, over the alleged hijack of election materials by APC thugs in Nembe-Bassambiri and refusal to allow voters including supporters of the PDP, to cast their votes.
The PDP also alleged that most of the votes purportedly recorded by the APC in the area were cooked and voodoo votes that should be cancelled.
…PDP slams Sylva
Meanwhile, the PDP has accused the APC flag bearer of allegedly holding hostage INEC officials in in Twon-Brass, headquarters of Brass Local Government Area of the state.
In a statement by its Publicity Secretary, Ebiye Ogoli, the party said the APC candidate stormed the INEC office on the Brass island on Sunday in a bid to manipulate the result of the governorship election in the local government area.
The electoral officers reportedly resisted his overtures and were consequently held hostage by Sylva’s thugs.
The commission, in reaction, issued a statement calling on security agencies to rescue its personnel.
“PDP said Sylva’s condemnable act resulted in the killing of one of its young supporters, Berepelenyo George Sibo, by his thugs in Twon-Brass.
“It expressed sadness that the young man’s life was cut short by unconscionable political thugs that were nurtured and encouraged by those who attached no importance to the sanctity of human life.
“The party said it was however not surprised about Sylva’s action as it was consistent with his brand of violent politics.
“It urged the APC chieftain to reflect on this and the outcome of the election in order to redeem his image, noting that election should not be a do-or-die affair,” the statement added.
