The multiple cases of cancelled votes higher than the leading margin has given rise to too many inconclusive elections, especially in the northern part of the country. These has propelled the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to declared Saturday’s governorship election in Plateau, Adamawa, Bauchi and Sokoto states inconclusive.
In Plateau, 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 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
In Bauchi, the Returning Officer for the elections in the state, Kyari Mohammed, declared the election inconclusive after in the first minutes of Monday after it was observed that the margin between the two leading candidates was less than the number of cancelled votes.
Results collated for the keenly contested election showed that the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the election, Bala Mohammed, got 469,512 votes, 4,059 votes more than the incumbent governor, Mohammed Abubakar, who secured 465,453 votes.
And in Sokoto, INEC said the decision was because 75, 403 votes were cancelled which were higher than 3, 413 margin difference.
The State’s Chief Returning Officer, Prof. Fatima Muktar, made the declaration on Sunday in Sokoto, stating that 51 Candidates contested the election.
Muktar, who is the Vice Chancellor, Federal University Dutse (FUD) , Jigawa, declared that it was based on the consideration of cancelled votes that emanated from 136 polling units in the state.
”From the forgoing, the election is declared inconclusive as I cannot take a decision in recognition of the narrow margin according to electoral law,” Muktar said.
She added that the total registered voters were 1, 887, 767 while 1, 033, 081 voters were accredited.
She said the total valid votes were 987, 952 and the total rejected votes were 30, 082, while the total votes cast were 1, 018, 024 at the concluded election.
According to the results declared, Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has won the election in 12 out of the 23 LGAs results announced with 3,413 votes margins.
NAN reports that Tambuwal polled 489, 558 votes while his close rival, Alhaji Ahmad Aliyu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) scored 486, 145 votes.
According to her, the PDP has the higher votes in 12 LGAs while APC has 11 LGAs with a margin of 3, 413 votes difference between them.