Confusion as INEC Holds Supplementary Governorship Election in Imo

Daily Independent (Lagos)

Joe Nwankwo, Abuja, Uche Nwosu, Owerri Baba Negedu, Kaduna And Patience Ogbodo

29 April 2011

Bauchi — Following the April 26 governorship election in Imo State which the returning officer ruled inconclusive, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) rising from a meeting Friday night has scheduled a supplementary election for Friday, May 6, 2011.

A statement signed by the Secretary of the Commission Abdulahi Kagugama, said, “The supplementary election will hold in four (4) Local Government Areas namely Ngor-Okpalla, Mbaitoli, Oguta and Egbema; as well as in Orji Ward in Owerri North Local Government Area.

“INEC urges all stakeholders to ensure the highest level of integrity and good conduct in the supplementary election to allow for smooth conclusion of the governorship poll”

The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) had earlier on Friday stormed Abuja demanding the release of collated results from the election held on April 26.

Addressing a press conference, National Chairman of APGA, Victor Umeh, flanked by the leader of the party in Imo State, Martin Agbaso, and senator-elect, Chris Anyanwu, stated that his party as at the last count was leading with a total of 299,254 as against the 281,365 scored by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

According to Umeh “it is clear that our party APGA and our candidate Owelle Rochas Okorocha won the governorship elections in Imo State.

“The returning officer Prof Enock Akobundu was supposed to do the final job of announcing the scores of the candidates in the election but he failed to do that, you will recall that in the Anambra Central senatorial district impasse the returning officer declared the results and scores of the candidates before declaring the election inconclusive. So Akobundu cannot come and say that the elections were inconclusive when Okorocha was leading with over 17000 votes.”

Umeh pointed out that “following the results already announced by Akobundu, Okorocha scored a total of 299,254 of the total valid while Governor Ikedi Ohakim of the PDP scored 281,365. These results were established at the local government collation centres and Akobundu collated results from 24 local government areas in the state with Okorocha winning the mandatory 25% in 18 of the local governments.”

Umeh urged President Goodluck Jonathan to use his good offices to save Imo state from being engulfed in crisis.

Meanwhile, Owerri, the Imo state capital has been besieged by military and police personnel as APGA supporters hold demonstrations demanding for the announcement of the winner of the governorship and House of Assembly elections in the state.

Both the army and the police are conducting what is described as “Operation Search”. The search is restricted mainly to vehicles moving in and out of Owerri.

The situation was however different in Kaduna when INEC on Friday announced incumbent Governor Patrick Ibrahim Yakowa winner of the election held on Thursday, April 28.

Yakowa, the first Christian governor from the southern part of the state, won the governorship election of the State on the platform of ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

He polled a total of 1,334,319 votes to defeat his closest rival, Haruna Sa’eed of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC) who got 1,33,564.

According to the results, Yakowa won in 12 local government areas of the state comprising of Chikun, Kajuru, Jaba, Giwa, Je’ma Kagarko, Kaura, Kauru, Kudan, Sanga, Zango-Kataf and Kachia.

Sa’eed won in Lere, Makarfi, Sabon-gari, Ikara, Kubau, Zaria, Birnin-Gwari, Igabi, Soba, Kaduna North and Kaduna South local areas.

CPC has already threatened to head to the courts to challenge the outcome of the elections.

And in Bauchi, Governor Isa Yuguda also of the PDP was declared re-elected with 771,503 votes while CPC candidate, Alhaji Yusuf Tuggar got 238,426.

The result which was announced by the returning officer, Prof Mohammed Hamisu, stated further that Senator Baba Tela of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) scored 157,228 while ANPP’s candidate, Senator Suleiman Nazif, got 102,093.

AllAfrica – All the Time