Big losers, winners of January 25 rerun elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), penultimate Saturday conducted rerun elections in parts of the country as ordered by the courts. The chairman of the commission, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, had said the rerun and supplementary polls would be held in 11 states, one senatorial zone, 12 federal constituencies and 15 state constituencies. While some of the outcomes of the elections were not different from what pundits predicted, there were, however, some surprises.

Abdulmumin Jibrin Kofa

One of the biggest upsets of the elections was the defeat of a former chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin Kofa of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). The candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Aliyu Datti Yako, won the rerun election in Kiru/ Bebeji federal constituency of Kano State.

The returning officer for the constituency, Prof. Abdullahi Arabi, said Yako scored 48,601 votes to defeat Kofa, who pulled 13,507 votes.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Kaduna, in November 2019, ordered fresh election into the constituency after Mr. Jibrin was declared winner of the February election but the result was challenged by Yako.

The petition of the PDP candidate, a former commissioner for local government affairs in the state, was dismissed at the election petition tribunal, but he appealed the judgement.

Delivering judgement, Justice Ajoke Adepoju said the entire election conducted in the two local governments of Kiru and Bebeji could not stand as the final result contained in Form EC (8)E was mutilated.

Alhassan Ado Doguwa

Also in Kano State, a former majority leader of the House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado Doguwa, reclaimed his seat for the Doguwa/Tudun Wada federal constituency.

The returning officer of Doguwa/Tudun Wada, Prof. Mansur Auwal Bindawa said Duguwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) scored 66,667 votes, while Air Commodore Yusha’u Salisu (retd) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) got 6,323 votes.

The Kaduna division of the Court of Appeal had nullified Doguwa’s election in November 2019 and ordered for fresh election in the constituency.

Similarly, APC swept Minjibir, Bunkure, Madobi and Rogo local governments for the State House of Assembly.

Consequently, Munir Babba Dan’Agundi of the APC regained his seat with 32,114 votes, defeating his opponent of the PDP, Umar Balla, who got 31,258 votes.

In the rerun election in Madobi local government into the Kano State House of Assembly, APC scored 25,403 to beat PDP, which got 23,625, while in Minjibir, APC polled 18,455 to defeat PDP’s 17,607 votes.

In Rogo Local Government, APC scored 26,730 to beat PDP that got 26, 362, and in Bunkure Local Government, APC clinched the seat with 20,566 votes against the opposition PDP, which scored 19,941.

In Sokoto State, PDP candidates won the rerun for Sokoto North/ South and Isa/Sabon-Birni federal constituencies.

Alhaji Abubakar Abdullahi of the PDP defeated the incumbent, Alhaji Bala Hassan of the APC with 68,985 votes.

PDP’s Sa’idu Bargaja defeated his closest opponent, Alhaji Sani Aminu-Isa of the APC with 44,490 against 41,048 for Isa/Sabon-Birni federal constituency.

In Cross Rivers State, the APC candidate for Abi/Yakurr federal constituency, Dr Alex Egbonna, won the rerun election held in two wards of Ekureku in Abi Local Government Area.

Newly appointed Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Alalibo Johnson, said Egbonna scored 29, 716 to defeat PDP’s John Gaul-Lebo, who scored 26, 036.

A petition by the PDP candidate led to the court-ordered rerun.

A rerun was also held for some wards in the state House of Assembly constituency seat in Abi Local Government Area.

In the result announced by the INEC for the Abi state constituency seat, PDP’s Davies Ettah scored 13, 349 to defeat APC’s Inah Iwara, who got 8,797.

The rerun was conducted in 33 polling units in the state, out of which eight was cancelled following the hijack of materials.

Senator Godswill Akpabio

In Akwa Ibom, the PDP swept the Senate, House of Representatives and state Assembly supplementary elections in Essien Udim.

The returning officer for the Akwa Ibom northwest rerun election, Prof. Robert Dode of the University of Uyo, announced that Senator Christopher Ekpeyong of the PDP won. He said Mr Ekpeyong polled 134,717 votes while a former Senate minority leader, Senator Godswill Akpabio of the APC, who had earlier withdrawn, scored 83,820 votes.

Ekpeyong thus defeated Senator Akpabio for a second time after the February 2019 election, which was also lost by Akpabio, who is currently the Minister of Niger Delta and a former two-time governor of the state.

Mr. Ekpenyong was again sworn in as a senator at the start of plenary on Thursday by Senate President Ahmad Lawan.

Also, the INEC returning officer for the House of representatives, Prof. Idara Akpabio of the University of Uyo, declared Mr Nsikak Ekong of the PDP as winner, having polled 45,366 votes. Mr Emmanuel Akpan of the APC scored 22,757.

In the State House of Assembly supplementary election, the returning officer, Prof. Victor Ebong of the University of Uyo declared Esse Umoh of the PDP winner, having polled 18,999 votes to defeat Mr Nse Ntuen of the APC, who scored 7,108.

The rerun polls were ordered by the Court of Appeal in Calabar for the Akwa Ibom northwest (Ikot Ekpene) senatorial district, Essien Udim federal constituency and Essien Udim state constituency.

In Bauchi State, Alhaji Awal Jatau of the PDP and Tata Umar of the APC were the major contenders in the supplementary poll for Zaki constituency.

The returning officer, Prof. Ahmed Kutama, said Jatau polled 15,405 votes to defeat Tata, who polled 15,307.

For the Gamawa federal constituency rerun election, the returning officer, Dr. Abubakar Mohammed from Federal University, Dutse, said Madaki Gololo of the PDP polled 21,223 votes. Isa Mohammad Wabu of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) polled 15,004 votes. Madaki and 20 other candidates contested for the Gamawa constituency seat.

In Imo State, PDP’s Jerry Alagbaso won a third term in the House of Representatives. This is in spite of the recent Supreme Court judgement that sacked PDP’s Emeka Ihedioha and declared APC’s Hope Uzodinma as the state governor.

Alagbaso, a grassroots politician, won the Orlu/Orsu/Oru East federal constituency rerun. The returning officer for the election, Dr. Emmanuel Anokuba declared that Alagbaso polled 22,475 to defeat his closest rival, Edwin Iheanacho Oku of the APC, who polled 20,814.

However, the APC candidate for the Okigwe North federal constituency, comprising Isiala Mbano/Okigwe/Onuimo, Ms. Miriam Onuoha, defeated Mr. Obinna Onwubualiri in the rerun. The returning officer, Prof. Frank Collins of Nnamdi Azikwe University, said Onuoha scored 23,690 votes to defeat Onwubualiri of the PDP, who scored 10,010 votes.

Mr Uchenna Ubah of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) came third with 263 votes.

In Benue State, the PDP won the Ohimini state constituency rerun election, with Christopher Adaji, declared the winner of the election by INEC’s returning officer, Prof. Nicodemus Agbulu.

Also, in Ogun State, APC’s Kolapo Osunsanya won the Ijebu-Ode/Odogbolu/Ijebu northeast federal constituency, garnering 25,959 votes to defeat PDP’s candidate, who recorded 21,911 votes. Prof. Charles Onwuka of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), the returning officer in charge of the election, declared the APC candidate as the winner.