From Our Correspondent
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Alhaji Usman Ododo, the winner of Saturday’s governorship election in Kogi State.
TheNewsZenith reports that the State Returning Officer, Prof. Johnson Urame, announced the result of the election on Sunday in Lokoja.
Urame said Ododo polled 446,237 to defeat Social Democratic Party (SDP), Alhaji Muritala Ajaka, who came second with 259,052 votes.
PDP candidate, Sen. Dino Melaye polled 46,362 votes to place third.
“Ahmed Usman Ododo of APC, having satisfied the mandate of the law, is declared the winner of the Kogi state governorship election. And he is returned elected,” Urame declared.
INEC had earlier contemplated declaring the exercise inconclusive following electoral irregularities in some locations.
In particular, INEC suspended the election in the Ogori Magongo local government area.
The commission said it would conduct a fresh election in those Registration Units where it suspended election, ”probably on Nov. 18”.
TheNewsZenith had earlier reported that INEC suspended elections in nine Registration Areas (RAs) over electoral malpractices.
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INEC National Commissioner, Malam Mohammed Haruna, confirmed the suspension after receiving reports of electoral malpractices in some areas on Saturday.
According to Haruna, INEC received reports from its officials in Kogi on incidences of electoral malpractices.
“Officials, particularly cited the incident of result sheets already filled before voting.
“Reports indicate that incidents occurred in Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi and Okene Local Government Areas,” he stated.
The most serious incidents occurred in Ogori/Magongo, affecting nine of 10 Registration Areas.
Meanwhile, candidates of SDP and PDP, Ajaka and Melaye respectively, have rejected the results of the poll.
In their separate reactions, the duo called for the total cancellation of the election, saying irregularities marred the poll.
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