Posted by This Day, By Our Reporters on
With results from no fewer than 13 states of the federation in last night, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate and Katsina State Governor, Alhaji Umaru Yar'Adua, was leading by such a comfortable margin that expectations are that he could be declared winner of the presidential election as early as this morning.
• Iwu to declare result today
Presidential Election
With results from no fewer than 13 states of the federation in last night, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential candidate and Katsina State Governor, Alhaji Umaru Yar'Adua, was leading by such a comfortable margin that expectations are that he could be declared winner of the presidential election as early as this morning.
THISDAY gathered that perhaps in anticipation of this, special security measures were placed around Yar'Adua last night as he arrived Abuja preparatory to the announcement of the result by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chai-rman, Prof. Maurice Iwu, who is also the chief returning officer.
While the final tally is expected today, results announced by the Resident Electoral Commission (REC) Chairmen in many of the states yesterday clearly put Yar'Adua ahead of his two closest rivals: Major General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) and Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Action Congress (AC).
In Rivers, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Chief Roland Uwah yesterday evening released the results of the Presidential elections where he said the PDP polled 1,841,956 followed by the ANPP which polled 55,429 while AC got 53,332 votes out of the total votes of 2079,038.
Apart from the PDP returning officer and former Minister of Transport, Dr. Abiye Sekibo, the other parties which took part in the elections boycotted the announcement of the result on the allegation of partisanship by the Independent National Electoral Commission in the State.
In Edo, INEC said PDP won the Presidential with 700,604 votes out of total of 779,288. Announcing the results yesterday, the new REC in Edo, Mr. Chukwudi Josiah Uwazaruonye said the Action Congress came second with 56,321 votes while the ANPP trailed third with 12,477 votes.
In Osun, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Rev John Dansu announced the results which showed that PDP polled 594,512 while AC polled 131,123, ANPP 57,598, AD 2,989, NDP 743, DPP 500, Fresh party, 176 and PPA 359.
The trend was similar in Nasarawa state where Yar'Adua scored a total of 496,641 votes beating his closest rival, Buhari of ANPP who scored 219,531.
According to the state Resident electoral commissioner, Alhaji Abbah Kyari who announced the results, the tally does not include that of Nasarawa Eggon Local Government result.
In Akwa Ibom state, the results of the Presidential election also showed that PDP Presidential candidate, Umaru Yar'Adua scored 1,149,508 million votes out of a total number of 1,168,320 votes cast in the election.
He was distantly followed by the AC Presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar with 10,619 votes, ANPP Presidential candidate, General Buhari (rtd) 2,887, Pat Utomi of ADC 118, Dim Chukwemeka Ojukwu, (APGA) 125; Chief Christopher Pere Ajuwa (AD), 274 votes; Orji Uzor Kalu (PPA), 3272 and Maxi Okwo (CPP) with 52 votes amongst others.
In Imo state, Yar' Adua led with a landslide vote of 744,876 as against Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu's (PPA) 86,040, while APGA had 21,216 votes, AC with 18,391 votes, ANPP 10,159 votes, DPP 6,770 votes and CPP 1,238 votes.
In Lagos state, Atiku came tops with 599,300 followed by Yar'Adua who polled 383,956. ANPP's Buhari scored 66,411. Others are ADC 17,830, AD 13,418, APGA 5,441 and DPP 3,667. None of the remaining parties polled up to 1000 each.
In Jigawa where the out-going governor, Alhaji Saminu Turaki was elected Senator on the platform of PDP, Yar'Adua was leading with 554,108 votes followed by Buhari who garnered 335,828 and Atiku with 26,476. The result of Ringim local government area was cancelled while that of Hadeija was still awaited as at press time.
In Kogi state, Yar'Adua posted a ladslide with a whopping 943,371. The AC candidate, Atiku got 225,582 while Buhari scored 71,566 votes.
In similar vein, Yar'Adua is expected to win in Sokoto state where his party, the PDP had clinched all the three senatorial seats available.
The picture may not be different from most of the other northern states where results from few local governments were still being expected as at early this morning. The delay has been attributed to late arrival of electoral materials in those states on Saturday. Infact, voting was said to have continued in some of the northern staes yesterday.