APC, PDP Run Tight Race In Kano, Kaduna, Lagos, Sokoto

Candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were running neck and neck in many states in the gubernatorial election conducted yesterday.

Results from polling units in states where the poll took place showed that the two major political parties were running a tight race.

The results were, however, not the final tally for the contest and do not show a clear winner.

Collation was still going on at the time of filing this report.

Winners for the governorship poll will be declared by the Resident Electoral Officers (RECs) in each state after all the results have been collated.

The election for states chief executives was held in 29 out of 36 states of the country. Also conducted yesterday was state assembly poll for lawmakers in all the states.

DailyTrust correspondents who monitored the exercise in the states report that although they were generally peaceful, the polls were characterised by low voter turnout, reported cases of violence as well as vote buying in some states.

The declared results at the polling units also indicated a pattern of twists and turns as top chieftains of the major political parties either delivered or lost at their respective polling units.

Similarly, some governorship candidates of the major political parties either won or lost at their polling units.

In Adamawa State, the ruling APC lost the three polling units around the Government House. Results from nine of the 11 polling units showed that the PDP polled a total of 441 votes against the 260 votes of the APC and 203 by the African Democratic Party (ADC).

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar reportedly won his polling unit as the PDP polled 161 and 207 votes to defeat APC that got 99 and 76 in governorship and state House of Assembly elections, respectively.

The ruling APC had defeated PDP at the same polling unit during presidential and National Assembly elections on February 23.

The results of Ajiya Ward 012 Polling Unit, Yola North Local Government Area, Jimeta, where the PDP presidential candidate voted yesterday indicated that the governorship candidate of the APC got 99, while that of the PDP garnered 161votes.

Also the governorship candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Abdul-Azeez Nyako, lost his polling unit to the PDP.

At Gwadabawa Ward, State House 014 Polling Unit, opposite Deputy Governor’s Office, Yola North Local Government Area (LGA), the PDP polled 123 votes,  the ADC came second with 78 votes while the ruling APC in the state placed third position with 63 votes.

Similarly, the State House of Assembly elections results compiled by Presiding Officer, Fari Abduljaleel Umar, showed that while the PDP led with 139 votes, the ADC and APC got 63, 49 votes, respectively.

Meanwhile a former Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) chairman and Director Field Operations, All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential Campaign Council, Malam Nuhu Ribadu delivered his polling unit for the APC.

According to declared results, the APC governorship candidate, Governor Muhammadu Jibrilla polled 302 votes at Ribadu’s polling unit to defeat his Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) counterpart, Ahmadu Fintiri who got 163 votes.

In Lagos State, the results declared in the five wards and 261 polling units in Oshodi reportedly favoured the candidate of the APC, Mr Babajide Sanwoolu more than his PDP counterpart, Mr Jimi Agbaje.

The result from some PUs indicated that the APC was leading in both the governorship and House of Assembly polls.

At the Baba Ode polling unit, off Wahab Larinde, the APC had 94 votes while PDP had 27 in the governorship polls while at PU 012 Salawu Ibidun Street, the APC had 60 and PDP had 20.

At Polling Unit 5 of Igando governorship election, the APC scored 223 votes as against PDP’s 116 while at Unit 7 got APC 130 and PDP 3.

At Egan Unit 005 scored APC 132 while PDP got 5; at Unit 6, APC got 231 and PDP 105

There was a surprised twist in Ogun State as the candidates of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) won the gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections at the polling units where former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and Governor Ibikunle Amosun voted.

The APM’s gubernatorial candidate, Adekunle Akinlade equally won his polling unit in Agosasa, Ipokia Local Government Area where he voted.

In Benue, Governor Samuel Ortom of PDP and his main challenger, Barrister Emmanuel Jime, reportedly won at their various polling units in Guma and Makurdi LGAs, respectively.

While Ortom scored 732 votes at Ako polling unit in LGEA primary school Gbajimgba, headquarters of Guma where the APC candidate had zero vote, Jime who voted at his Ndabagi polling unit scored 159 leaving the PDP with a total of 19 votes.

In Kano, the APC Senator-elect for the Kano Central Senatorial District, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau, during the February 23 general elections, reportedly lost to the PDP at his Giginyu ward in Nassarawa Local Government Area of the state.

In the governorship election his party, the APC, got 91 votes, leaving the PDP in the lead with 143; while in the state House of Assembly election the APC got 97, leaving the PDP with 126.

Early results of the gubernatorial and state House of Assembly elections in Gombe showed that the two leading political parties in Gombe State, the APC and PDP split votes announced by presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in some polling units.

Our correspondent who went round some polling units in the state after results were counted, reports that the election was unpredictable as some of the declared results tilted towards either Usman Bayero Nafada of PDP or Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya of APC.

For instance, at the Yahaya Umaru Polling Unit 010 where Inuwa cast his vote, he led the polling unit with a landslide after he polled 567 votes as against 36 votes scored by Bayero.

However, at the Ubandoma Polling Unit in Nafada LGA, where the PDP’s Bayero cast his vote, the candidate scored 314 votes to defeat Inuwa of the APC who polled 57 votes.

Governor Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo who is rounding up his second tenure under the PDP failed to deliver his polling unit to the party as the APC candidate won the unit with a 60 vote margin.

At the Polling Unit Hassan Manzo 005 where Dankwambo and his wife, Hajiya Adama Ibrahim Dankwambo, cast their votes, the APC candidate polled 263 votes to defeat Bayero Nafada who scores 201.

In Bauchi, Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar lost his Makama Sarkin Baki Unit to the opposition PDP, as the declared results showed that the PDP got 358 votes while the APC got 288 votes.

However, results of the House of Assembly elections indicated that the APC got 210 votes while the PDP got 115 votes.

In Niger State, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of the APC won in his Alkali Mustafa Polling Unit in Kontagora, Niger State.

Bello, according to declared results at the polling unit, polled 318 against the main opposition PDP Umar Mohammed Nasko who got 33.

The result for the unit also showed that the APC defeated the PDP candidate for the state Assembly seat with 247 votes against 39.

Declared results at the polling units monitored in Birnin Kebbi showed that Governor Abubakar Atiku Bagudu was leading. At his ward in Garka Mai Alelu poling unit 006, the governor defeated his PDP candidate, Senator Isa Galaudu, with 745 votes against 23 votes scored by the PDP candidate.

In Plateau State, the governorship candidate of the APC, Governor Simon Bako Lalong defeated his main challenger, Sen. Jeremiah Useni, of the PDP at polling unit 015 in the governor’s home town of Ajikamai, in Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Lalong polled 680 votes against Useni’s 25 when the governorship results were collated. The APC also polled 667 to defeat the PDP’s 34 for the State House of Assembly.

Results for the senatorial rerun for Plateau South Senatorial District also saw the APC polling 637 votes against the PDP’s 67 at the polling unit.

Governor of Kaduna State and gubernatorial candidate of the ruling APC, Malam Nasir El-Rufai, won his Polling Unit 024, Ungwar Sarki ward, Kaduna.

The governor, however, lost Sir Kashim Ibrahim House Kaduna (Government House) polling unit to the PDP which polled 145 while the APC got 114. The PDP also got 109 while the APC got 84 at the PUO 14.

Declared results showed that El-Rufai pulled 367 votes at his polling unit, while his major contender, Isa Ashiru of the PDP pulled 59 votes.

However, the PDP candidate Ashiru from results so far coming in seemed to be closing the gap in areas his party lost in the presidential elections.

Ashiru won his polling unit in Kudan, Kudan Local Government Area of Kaduna State while El-Rufai won his polling unit 024, Ungwar Sarki ward, Kaduna. Ashiru at the Kofar Fada 007 polling unit, scored 284 votes while El-Rufai of got 33 votes.

At President Muhammadu Buhari’s  Kofar Baru polling unit in Daura, Katsina State, APC got 370 votes to PDP’s 33 votes in the governorship polls while in the assembly election, theAPC got 366 votes to 40 votes for the PDP.

In the governorship election in Sokoto State, Governor Aminu Tambuwal and PDP’s candidate delivered his Shiyar Ajiya polling unit in Tambuwal Local Government Area with 784 votes as against 215 votes scored by the APC candidate, Ahmed Aliyu Sokoto.

Also, Sokoto scored 530 votes to defeat Tambuwal with 203 votes at Magajin Rafi ‘A’ 019A Tudun Wada polling unit in Sokoto South Local Government Area.

The Senator representing Sokoto North Senatorial District, Alhaji Aliyu Wamakko won his Gidan Ja’oji polling unit in Wamakko Local Government Area for the APC with 442 votes while PDP had 97 for the governorship election.

For the House of Assembly poll in the same polling unit, the APC got 322 votes and PDP received 114 votes.

In Jigawa State Governor Mohammadu Badaru and APC governorship candidate won his Kofar Arewa 002 polling unit in his hometown of Babura in Babura Local Government Area of the state with 523 votes against his PDP opponent Mallam Aminu Ringim with 47 votes.

In his Marakawa 008 polling unit of Ringim in Ringim Local Government Area, the PDP candidate polled 598 votes against the governor’s 180.

In Gadarawa Polling Unit in Dutse Local Government Area, the APC got 316 votes and the 87 votes for the PDP in the governorship polls while APC has 322 votes with 87 for the PDP in the assembly elections.

In Yobe State, the APC governorship candidate, Mai Mala Buni, won his Buni Lawanti ward at Phase I, Damaturu polling unit in the governorship elections with 162 votes against the PDP candidate, Umar Iliya Damagum, who polled 22 votes.

At the Dan Jar-Kwari ward in Kabo Local Government in Kano State, the APC got 163 votes to PDP’s 35 in the governorship elections while in the house of assembly poll, the APC scored 164 votes to PDP’s 34.

In Bachirawa, Fagge Local Government Area, the APC gubernatorial candidate received 144 votes to PDP’s 134. In the state assembly election, the APC scored 120 votes and PDP got 74.

Reports from Akwa Ibom State indicate that Governor Udom Emmanuel of the PDP won all the 467 votes cast in his Awa Ward I, Unit I polling unit in Onna Local Government Area. Also the PDP house of assembly candidate, Mr Nse Essien scored 467 votes, while 1 vote was cast for Peoples Coalition Party (PCP).

In Kwara State, the APC was in early lead in most polling units declared for the governorship and state Assembly polls.

For instance, at Ijagbo Ward Ansarudeen Primary school Polling Unit 1, the APC scored 210 in the governorship election and the PDP got 25 while in Ode Alase PU 037 Abata Asunkere, Ajikobi Ward Assembly result, the PDP got 49 votes as against APC’s 144.

Similarly, at Magaji Ngeri ward 001 and 016 for APC got 201, PDP 81, for gubernatorial election. For the assembly poll, the APC scored 191 and PDP got 100. In Ilorin South Akanbi V Polling Unit 009, the APC got 259 while the PDP got 029 in the governorship poll.

Also, some of the results announced at polling units for the chairmanship election for Gui Ward in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), the APC got 2782 votes against PDP’s 1761. At the ward, which has 27907 registered voters, 5166 were accredited for yesterday’s election with 4919 total valid votes out of 5153 cast. A total of 234 votes were rejected.