The All Progressives Congress candidate in yesterday’s supplementary governorship election in Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, has been declared governor-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
The Returning Officer, Prof. Immanuel Kucha, declared Mr. Bello winner early hours of Sunday, bringing an end to the most controversial governorship election in Nigeria’s recent political history.
INEC had declared the governorship election in Kogi State inconclusive on November 22 after the margin of win between the Peoples Democratic Party and APC was less than the number of registered voters in the 91 polling units across 18 Local Government Areas where election was cancelled.
The supplementary poll did not hold only in three local government areas, namely Mopa-Muro, Ogori Magogo and Yagba East.
According to the results declared by Mr. Kucha, Vice Chancellor, University of Agriculture, Makurdi, the APC garnered 6, 885 votes in the supplementary election, bringing the total votes it received to 247, 752, having polled 240, 857 in the November 21 election.
The runner up, the PDP and its candidate, Idris Wada, who is the incumbent governor, polled 5, 363 votes in the supplementary election.
With the votes Wada garnered yesterday, his total tally for the polls stood 204, 877 having had 199, 514 at the November 21 election.
“That Yahaya Bello of the APC, having satisfied the requirement of the law and scored the majority is hereby declared winner”, Mr. Kucha said.
Mr. Bello, 40, emerged APC candidate for the supplementary polls after the demise of Abubakar Audu on November 22. The deceased won the APC primary election, with Mr. Bello coming second, necessitating his automatic promotion to fill the vacuum as the party’s substitute flag bearer.
The supplementary election was generally peaceful and calm, although there was voter apathy.