Posted by By Sola Imoru on
The presidential candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and governor of Katsina State, Umar Musa Yar'Adua, is ahead so far in Saturday's presidential election contested by 25 candidates.
The presidential candidate of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party and governor of Katsina State, Umar Musa Yar'Adua, is ahead so far in Saturday's presidential election contested by 25 candidates.
Going by the results declared by state Resident Electoral Commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Yar' Adua, a two-term governor, has won in eight out of the nine states and the Federal Capital Territory, released so far.
Section 2 of the 1999 Constitution states that, 'A candidate for an election to the office of President shall be deemed to have been duly elected where, there being more than two candidates for the election-
(a) he has the highest number of votes cast at the election;
and
(b) he has not less than one-quarter of the votes cast at the election in each of at least two-thirds of all the states in the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja."
In Imo State, Yar'Adua won with 744,876 votes to beat Abubakar and Buhari who polled 18,391 and 10,159 votes respectively.
Yar'Adua swept the poll in Rivers State where he recorded 1,841,956 votes. Buhari and Abubakar took second and third positions with 55,427 and 53,322 votes respectively.
In Edo State, Yar'Adua led the poll with 700,604 votes, while Abubakar and Buhari got 56, 321 and 12, 477 respectively.
In Sokoto State, Yar'Adua won with 418,446 votes while Buhari had 87,154 votes.
Yar'Adua also swept the poll in Ogun State where he had 583, 806 votes. Abubakar occupied the second position with 75, 310 votes while Buhari came third with 55, 605 votes.
In the Federal Capital Territory, Buhari led the poll with 91, 217 votes, followed by Yar'Adua who polled 74, 882 votes. Abubakar had 16, 746 votes.
In Akwa Ibom State, Yar'Adua swept the poll with 1,149,508 votes. He was followed by Abubakar who polled 10,618 votes. Buhari trailed behind them with 2,887 votes.
Abubakar captured Lagos with 599, 300 votes. He was followed by Yar'Adua who polled 383, 956 votes. Buhari came a distant third with 66, 411 votes.
Yar'Adua led the poll in Osun State where he polled 594,912 votes. Abubakar scored 131,123 while Buhari had 6,758 votes.
Yar'Adua swept Oyo State with 391, 164 votes. Abubakar scored 204, 196 while Buhari had 125, 645 votes.
Abubakar was however defeated in his ward, Ajiya in Yola North Local Government Area, by Buhari and Yar' Adua.
According to the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Suleiman Bello, Buhari scored 19,941 votes followed by Yar'Adua who polled 10,170 votes. Abubakar trailed behind the duo with 8,150 votes.
The results of the presidential election will be formally announced by the Independent Electoral Commission headquarters in Abuja on Monday (today).