INEC boss, Mahmood Yakubu
By Polycarp Auta and Muhammad Auwal
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Saturday’s governorship election in Plateau and Adamawa States inconclusive.
Prof. Richard Kimbir, the Returning Officer for the election in the state announced this in the early hours of Monday in Jos, after collating results from the 17 local government areas.
Kimbir, who is the Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, said the total number of votes cancelled were more than the difference in the number of votes the the two major candidates got, “hence was constrained to declare the polls inclusive”.
The returning officer said Mr Simon Lalong of the All Progressive Congress (APC) scored 583, 255 votes, while his closest rival, Lt. Gen. Jeremiah Useni (rtd) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) garnered 538, 326 votes in the election.
Kimbir who put the total number of cancelled votes in the state at 49, 347, noted that it was above the total difference of 44, 929 in the votes scored by the two major candidates.
“In line with section 179, subsection two of the 1999 constitution as amended, I am constrained to declare this election inconclusive.
“This is because the total number of cancelled votes is above the difference that exist in the votes garnered by the two major candidates.
“So, in line with the electoral act, a supplementary elections will be conducted in the affected areas in 21 days,” he declared.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Shendam, Barkin Ladi, Bassa, Bokkos and Kanam were the LGAs affected by the cancellation.
Others affected include Jos North, Langtang South, Mangu and Pankshin.
Similarly, INEC says the Adamawa Governorship election is also inconclusive and a new date for the rerun election would be announced.
The Returning Officer .Prof. Andrew Haruna, confirmed the development at the governorship election collation centre in Yola on Monday.
Haruna said the number of cancellations was higher than the margin of lead votes between the two contestants and therefore, a new date for the rerun election would be fixed.
Haruna mentioned about 44 polling units affected across the state