Preliminary results released early Monday night by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), showed that the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammed Buhari, was maintaining an early lead.
Figures released for weekend’s presidential elections in 18 states so far, showed that while the ruling PDP clinched victory in eight states, plus FCT, the main opposition APC came tops in 10 others.
According to the result announced by the electoral umpire, APC grabbed Kano with 1,903,999 votes out of the total 2,128,821 votes, while PDP received 215,779.
In neighbouring Jigawa, APC led with 885,988 votes, while PDP received 142,904.
In Kaduna, APC clinched 1,127,760 votes to defeat the PDP, which got 484,085 at the ballot; while in Kwara, APC garnered 302,146 votes, as against the ruling party’s 132,602.
In Katsina, General Buhari’s home state, his APC recorded 1,345,441 valid votes, compared with the PDP’s 98,937 votes.
The PDP however defeated its main rival in Abia where it got 368,303 votes, as against 13,394; while in Anambra, it was PDP again with 660,762.
In Akwa Ibom State, the INEC Collation Officer reported that while APC recorded 58,411 votes, the PDP won with 953,304; while the margin was closer in Imo where the ruling party grabbed 559,185 votes to defeat APC (133,253 votes).
Plateau State recorded 549,615 votes for PDP and 429,140 for its main rival.
Announcing the result from Ekiti State earlier, Collation Officer Prof. Adebiyi Daramola, who is also the Vice Chancellor, Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), said the APC polled 120,331 votes, as against 176,466 for the PDP.
Prof. Duro Oni, Deputy Vice Chancellor Management Service, University of Lagos, Collation Officer for Ogun State, put total valid votes at 533,172, with the APC polling 308,290 and PDP had 207,950.
In Enugu State, Prof. Hillary Edoga, Vice Chancellor Micheal Okpala University of Agriculture, Umudike, recorded 14,157 for the APC and PDP, 553,003.
For Kogi, Prof Emeh Adikwu, Vice Chancellor University of Abuja, said the APC garnered 264,851 and PDP, 149,987 votes. He reported some fracas in Idah local government area.
Prof. Isaac Uzoma Asuzu, Vice Chancellor University, Oye Ekiti, reported that in Osun State, the APC scored 383,603 votes and PDP, 249,929.
In Ondo State, Prof. Olusola Oyewole, Vice Chancellor Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta, told the gathering that while there were 618,040 accredited voters, the APC scored 299,889, the PDP got 251,368.
Prof. Micheal Oladimeji Faborode said of FCT’s 344,056 accredited voters, APC got 146,399, lower than PDP’s 157,195.
Prof. Ayobanmi Salami, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Academic Obafemi Awolowo University, Collation Officer for Oyo State reported of the 1,073,849 accredited voters, the APC scored 528,620 and PDP 303,376.
Prof. Abdul Rafindadi, Vice Chancellor, Kogi State University said in Nasarawa State, APC garnered 236,836 votes, coming behind PDP’s 273,460.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday, said it will not accept the result of the 2015 presidential election unless its candidate, President Goodluck Jonathan, is declared winner of the presidential election.
Addressing newsmen in Abuja, Director of Media and Publicity of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, said the party’s confidence is based on its own collated results from all parts of the country.
Such result, he said, showed that the party was leading General Muhammadu Buhari of the APC with a margin of up to three million votes.
The PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation spokesman said the ruling party would “firmly resist” any attempt to declare a contrary result.
Fani-Kayode had at another press conference also on Monday, warned INEC and the APC against any attempt to declare a contrary result. The consequences, he said, will be grave.
“Despite the propaganda of the opposition, we are confident of victory.
“They and all other stakeholders can be rest assured that we will accept nothing less than the announcement of an election result that is truthful and that reflects the true will of the Nigerian people.
“Any attempt to manipulate figures or to rig us out from any quarter will be firmly resisted.”
Asked if the PDP has right to announce election results even when INEC had not completed its job, Fani-Kayode insisted that nothing under the law prevents the party from collating it’s own results from the result sheets given to its agents at the polling booths.
He insisted that the ruling party has collated its own result, is winning the election and will not accept anything less.
Fani-Kayode had on Sunday said the PDP had won majority votes in 23 states while the APC clinched 14 others, a claim that was immediately debunked by INEC Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega as untrue.
The PDP’s threat came just as governments of the United States and the United Kingdom, on Monday, noted “disturbing indications that the collation process—where the votes are finally counted—may be subject to deliberate political interference.”
This, they said, “would contravene the letter and spirit of the Abuja Accord, to which both major parties committed themselves.”
Both governments said they “would be very concerned by any attempts to undermine the independence of the Electoral Commission (INEC), or its Chairman, Professor (Atahiru) Jega; or in any way distort the expressed will of the Nigerian people.
The joint statement by U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry and U.K’s Foreign Secretary, Philip Hammond, however applauded Saturday’s largely peaceful Presidential and National Assembly elections in Nigeria.
Nigerians have shown, the statement added, a commendable determination to register their votes, with no systemic manipulation of the process.
On Monday also, President Jonathan and Vice-President Namadi Sambo, met with heads of the Commonwealth, African Union and ECOOWAS Election Observer Missions to Nigeria.
The meeting which started at 3:20 pm was attended by former Presidents John Kuffour of Ghana; the head of the delegation, Amos Sawyer of Liberia; and Bakili Muluzi of Malawi.
Ambassador Aisha Laraba, AU Commissioner for Political Affairs and Salamatu Suleiman, her ECOWAS counterpart, among others.
After the meeting which lasted about 20 minutes, Kuffour, who addressed reporters, said the observers presented the interim report of the missions, commending Nigerians and Jonathan for fair and peaceful elections, and urged the electorate to continue maintaining peace even after results are announced.
According to Kuffour: “We have been in the country with our groups observing all over the country, now we have come to a point where from what we have seen, the elections have been peaceful, transparent and credible up to yesterday.
“We appreciate the processes not yet done till the results are declared then of course, the aftermath of the declaration.
“But we have come this far and we wanted to give an interim report to the authorities that mandated us to come and to the world and to Nigerians in particular, to let everybody know that Nigeria so far has been at peace with the process.
“We appeal to Nigeria to continue in this mood throughout the entire process so that at the end of the day the people of Nigeria will be satisfied with themselves that they used the process to get the government they want and they deserve.
“Nigeria succeeding will be not only affect Nigeria but West Africa and the continent; we will all be made proud of the success here achieved by Nigerians for themselves and for all of us.
No comments:
Post a Comment