APC floors PDP in guber, state legislative elections
• Ambode thanks Lagosians, Agbaje concedes, PDP petitions INEC
• Ajimobi breaks second term jinx, Alao-Akala greets him, Ladoja kicks
• Amosun’s rivals threaten suit •Umahi, Ugwuanyi win, Imo polls inconclusive
• El-Rufai, Tambuwal, Masari, Ganduje emerge, Ribadu loses
• Dankwabo returns • Ortom, Lalong emerge in Benue, Plateau
• Udom Emmanuel, Ayade victorious, Okowa, Wike leading in Delta, Rivers
THE All Progressives Congress (APC) has recorded an impressive performance in the April 11, 2015 governorship and House of Assembly elections, retaining all of its states and taking over a few others from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in results released so far.
Consequently, palpable anxiety on the part of some governors who sought re-election for a second term at last Saturday’s gubernatorial and state legislative polls ended yesterday as they were declared winners by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
All of them emerged on the platforms of APC and PDP. They included Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo State, APC), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun, APC), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara, APC) and Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe, PDP).
However, Muktar Ramalan Yero (Kaduna, PDP), lost his second tenure bid to El-Rufai (APC).
Some other new kids who appeared on the block included Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom, PDP), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (Kano, APC) and Senator Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi, APC).
Except for the PDP’s run-away victory in Gombe, the APC maintains a strong hold on northern territories, clearing its own states (Kano, Borno, Yobe and others), and snatching Katsina, Kaduna and Jigawa from the PDP.
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal and Mallam Nasir El-Rufai led the APC to victory in Sokoto and Kaduna.
Exit polls from Delta and Rivers states showed that PDP candidates Ifeanyi Okowa and Nyesom Wike were leading.
The Returning Officer for Lagos State, Prof. Isaac Adewole yesterday declared the governorship candidate of the APC, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, winner. Scoring 811994 votes against Dr. Jimi Agbaje, his PDP rival. Ambode won 25 per cent of all the votes cast in all the 20 local council areas; same as Agbaje.
Amosun led in 11 local government areas with about 306988 votes, while Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka (PDP), his closest rival, scored 201440.
Amosun won in Ewekoro, Remo North, Odeda, Shagamu, Abeokuta North, Abeokuta South, Obafemi Owode, Ikenne, Ifo, Ado-odo Ota, and Ogun Water side.
Isiaka led in Ijebu Ode, Ijebu North East, Imeko-Afon, Odogbolu, Egbado South, Ipokia, Ijebu North, Ijebu East and Egbado North councils.
About 16 political parties contested the elections said to be the keenest ever since the creation of the state 39 years ago.
The PDP, on the other hand, kept its South East and South South states, winning Enugu, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom and Cross River, convincingly.
INEC has declared the governorship polls in Imo State, inconclusive.
The Collation Officer in the state, Prof. Ibidabo Obe, who made the declaration at the INEC office about 11.30 p.m. on Sunday, said the difference between the highest scorer (APC candidate, Governor Rochas Okorocha) and PDP’s Chief Emeka Ihedioha, was 79,979 in the declared booths in the 27 local councils.
Okorocha had the highest number of votes in 20 out of 27 local councils while Ihedioha won seven councils.
He regretted violence in some booths in some councils leading to cancellation of many booths in many councils.
No date was fixed for rerun polls to conclude the process.
The PDP, APGA and other parties had rejected the outcome, calling for cancellation of the entire exercise.
However, another report said Ibidapo Obe declared the results of the guber election inconclusive following detected electoral mal practices in 24 council areas.
After counting and collation, summary of final result in Imo governorship election is as follows: APC (385,671 ), PDP (306,142 ). Margin of win: 79,529; cancelled votes: 144,715. Verdict: Election is inconclusive.
In Cross River State, Ben Ayade (PDP) polled 342,016 ballots, APC got 53,983 votes and Labour Party (LP) 36,918.
In 11 out of the 25 councils released so far, Okowa won 10 except for Udu, which he lost to Chief Great Ogboru of LP.
The PDP candidate’s victory cuts across the three senatorial districts of Delta North where he hails from, Delta South of his running mate (Mr. Kinsgley Otuaro) and Delta Central where Ogboru and APC’s Olorogun Otega Emerhor are from.
Wike has so far polled a total of 737,158 votes compared to the 77,410 by his closest rival, Dakuku Peterside of the APC. Wike is leading in 19 councils, while Peterside leads in two.
PDP won in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area where it polled 82,289 to APC’s 24,367.
PDP also won in Governor Chibuike Amaechi’s Ikwerre Local Government Area with 23,511 to defeat the APC, which had 10,555.
In Okrika, PDP (47,891), APC (1,631); Etche-PDP (33,954), APC (6,488); Degema-PDP (31,103), APC (1,244).
In Ekiti and Ondo states, which were not part of the general elections (because they have different electoral time table), the PDP cleared all, if not many, of the state houses of assembly seats.
The PDP-governed Bayelsa and APC’s Edo also have different electoral timetable but have their state house of assembly seats going to the governing parties.
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11 Comments
The wind of change is really sweeping across the nation. Pray this wind would blow away corruption which is our major undoing as a nation.
Hmmnnnn. I share your opinion. This reason is that I know as a fact that apart from Akwa Ibom, all the others are enmeshed in poverty of the citizens, poor economic progress, heavy unemployment with no new major company setting up operations there, extremely high crime rates and a general sense of hopelessness among the people. Yet they release results saying the people have “voted” overwhelmingly for PDP. These govts. have very little or nothing to show for the huge revenue given to them but continue to claim they are transforming their states through paid-off media outlets. Nobody calls them to account. This is sheer madness and wickedness. The people of those parts have to move to other parts of Nigeria or abroad to make meaning of life and progress. Please we need the help of other regions to help our people come out of this “bondage”. It is very difficult for the will of the people to be expressed. Who in their right mind would vote for their poverty? I sincerely pray that the courts will right some of the wrongs done in these “elections” and that a GMB govt. would exercise considerable oversight over these States rather than just give them their allocation and “hasta la vista” until next allocation collection date. We continue to pray for the best, our suffering as a people is too much and there is no reason for it, if resources are managed properly.
I hope there would be a change at the end of the day. Because i did a statistics of late and found out that, about 12 of the new Apc governors are former pdp stalwart, decampees from pdp as a result of them being denied the ticket. And when you check the centre, about 55% are former pdp. So to me its seems Apc is New Pdp. Check it.
Well, unless you really are going to import brand new politicians from overseas, or give birth to fresh ones and grow them overnight, there is no politician out there without a history or skeleton in his cupboard. Even the non-defected members of APC are no saints themselves. What is most important is that we now have a credible alternative to the juggernaut that PDP had been for the past 16 years. Nigerian electorates are also now better informed and more aware of the power they possess through the ballot box. I have no doubt that they will be ready to exercise that power again in another four years if there is no positive impact on their lives.
I am not really bothered about all the defections and counter-defections. It’s all a sign of the infantile state of our democracy and of this class of politicians. Eventually, water will find its level as the common saying goes. By the time they are confronted by an incorruptible president in Buhari, who also demands accountability and who has vowed that no recent defector will be appointed by him into positions, they will all probably migrate back again.
If imported from overseas, they won’t be eligible to vote or be voted for. I think the idea of giving birth to new ones or growing them overnight is a good one. Do you want a contract?
Trivializing an important discussion?
Get serious, for once!
Sometimes, you guys need to loosen up a little bit. Leave room for jokes, have some fun. Perhaps, get laid before your next post.
Petty mind.
Food for thought indeed!
OLD WINE IN NEW SKIN?
Buhari will have a lot on his plate and an uphill task in dealing with these old PDP guys bring into play, their mindset and approach to politics of “do or die” kind. Their Faustian principles will not serve the people well if they complement the ‘dyed in the wool’, die hard APC stalwarts that are themselves not absolved of that kind of approach to life!
THANK GOD—–THE OIL PRODUCING STATES DID NOT FALL INTO–THE TRAP OF THE YORUBAS AND FULANIS IN APC———–WITH THEIR CIA CONTRIVED SOALGAN FOR CHANGE–HOW CAN A SANE SOCIETY LIKE NIGERIA SEE BUHARI A CERTIFICATELESS AS AN INSTRUMENT OF CHANGE—MAY BE OBAMA WHO INSTALLED HIM DOES–
APC or PDP I don’t think should be the issue. The most important thing is who will have the interest of the masses at heart. Majority of Nigerians want NNPC, PHCN and the hospitals to work efficiently. Is that too much to ask for?
We will review and take appropriate action.