All is now set for the supplementary election in Kogi State to decide who will rule the state in the next four years.
Despite the burning of the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Dekina Local Government Area of the state, the electoral umpire has said it is set for the election.
Election materials, as at press time, have arrived in most of the polling units where election will take place.
Between the initial election and now, the APC has substituted Audu with Yahaya Bello, a development that Audu’s running mate, James Abiodun Faleke, has kicked against.
This could be a major determinant in which direction votes could swing on Saturday (today).
The election will be held in 91 polling units across 18 local government areas.
Twenty-nine of the 91 polling units are located in Dekina Local Government Area.
Nine of the polling units are in Ankpa Local Government Area, while Ofu Local Government Area has eight polling units.
Ibaji and Omala Local Government Areas have six polling units each, while Adavi and Lokoja Local Government have five each.
The governorship election was declared inconclusive by INEC following the cancellation of votes that could not separate the two leading candidates then – late Prince Abubakar Audu of the All Progressives Congress and the incumbent and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Captain Idris Wada.
At the conclusion of collation of results from the 21 local government areas of the state, Audu, polled 240,867 votes, while Wada came second with 199,514 votes.
The Returning Officer for the election. Prof. Emmanuel Kucha, said 49,953 votes were cancelled and this was more than the margin between the votes of Audu and Wada.
Kucha, therefore, said: “Since the number of cancelled votes was 49,953 while the difference between the votes scored by the APC and PDP candidates stood at 41,353, the election could not yet be declared as conclusive.
“Applying the provision of INEC guideline, page 22 to 23 paragraph 4(m), the election will be re-conducted in 59 polling units across eighteen LGAs.”
The local government areas that had their votes cancelled and the number of votes invalidated were Adavi, 2134; Ajaokuta, 1406; Anpka, 6021; Bassa, 742; Dekina, 17,454; Ibaji, 2665; Idah, 310; Igalamela/Odolu, 1501; Ijumu, 705; Kabba/Bunu, 1767; Kogi, 1689; Lokoja, 2854; Ofu, 4679; Okehi, 403; Okene, 676; Olamaboro, 2046; Omala, 2526; and Yagba West, 375.
Audu won in 16 of the state’s 21 local government areas, while Wada took only five.
Audu won in Yagba East, Yagba West, Kabba/Bunu, Ijumu, Lokoja, Kogi, Okehi, Ajaokuta, Adavi, Ankpa, Igalamela/Odolu, Ofu, Olamaboro, Ibaji, Bassa and Idah Local Government Areas.
For Wada, his victory was limited to Omala, Dekina, Mopamuro and Ogori/Mangogo and Okene.
1. Okehi LGA
APC: 10,170
PDP: 8,504
2. Mopamuro LGA
APC: 3,888
PDP: 4,195
3. Ogori Magongo LGA
APC: 1,931
PDP: 2,601
4. Ajaokuta LGA
APC: 8,581
PDP: 6,903
5. Adavi LGA
APC: 15,636
PDP: 11,902
6. Kogi LGA
APC: 10,426
PDP: 9,316
7. Ijumu LGA
APC: 9,958
PDP: 6,040
8. Okene LGA
APC: 14,786
PDP: 15,968
9. Yagba West LGA
APC: 7,930
PDP: 7,021
10. Yagba East LGA
APC: 7,129
PDP: 5,368
11. Idah LGA
APC: 11,779
PDP: 6,952
12. Kabba/Bunu LGA
APC: 9,659
PDP: 7,768
13. Omala LGA
APC: 9,228
PDP: 10,517
14. Ofu LGA
APC: 16,800
PDP: 10,997
15. Ankpa LGA
APC: 22,983
PDP: 14,731
16. Olamaboro LGA
APC: 13,227
PDP: 8,202
17. Igalamela-Odolu LGA
APC: 9,003
PDP: 8,683
18. Bassa LGA
APC: 11,815
PDP: 9,258
19. Lokoja LGA
APC: 13,517
PDP: 12,414
20. Dekina LGA
APC: 20,994
PDP: 21,602
21. Ibaji LGA
APC: 11,427
PDP: 10,572.
