As results from Saturday’s Governorship and House of Assembly elections held across the country trickle in, it has emerged that the eventual winner of the number one seat and into the respective assemblies across some states remain uncertain.
From Lagos to Benue, Rivers, Imo and a few other states, the picture has been foggy, as there have been conflicting reports about who is ahead.
In Lagos, although the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Akinwumi Ambode, is touted to have taken an early lead from results gathered from polling units in some section of the state, reports have it that his closest rival, Jimi Agbaje, is also getting a large volume of votes from other catchment areas of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Though the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Lagos, Akin Orebiyi, is expected to commence the final collation of results today, some of the ones announced by the INEC officials showed that Agbaje and his running mate, Alhaja Safurat Abdulkareem, lost their polling units to the APC.
Unofficial results obtained by Sunday Independent show that in Agbaje’s Ward C, Apapa polling unit, APC polled 124 votes, while PDP got 88.
In his running mate’s polling unit, Unit 009 Badagry, PDP got 72, while APC got 140 votes.
But, it was victory for the PDP in the polling units of Minister of Foreign Affairs II, Senator Musiliu Obanikoro and his son, Olajide Obanikoro, contesting the Lagos House of Assembly, Eti-Osa Constituency II. They both delivered their polling unit for the PDP.
Results announced at Ward 9, polling unit 012 Onitolo/Ojora Road, where Jide Obanikoro voted, PDP polled 66 votes as against APC’s 59 in the governorship election, while the party also polled 80 votes as against APC’s 43 in the House of Assembly elections.
His father, Obanikoro, also won his polling unit, PU013, Gerard/Alexander road, Ikoyi. The PDP scored 50 votes, while the APC had 48 votes.
In the State House of Assembly poll, PDP won 63 votes, while APC had 33 votes.
National Leader of the APC, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, also won his polling unit in Sunday Adigun Street, Alausa, Ikeja, Unit 047, as APC got 230, while PDP polled 62 votes in the governorship election.
At Fashola’s ward G3, Unit 002, State Senior Grammar School, Itolo, Surulere, where our correspondent monitored the election, the result shows, APC governorship, 270, while PDP 132, and void vote is 11.
Ambode also won in his ward 3 Epe, scoring 133, while PDP got 57 votes. As at 9.pm on Saturday, the collation centre at the INEC office in Yaba, Lagos, was being put in place ahead of the big announcement.
In Enugu State, PDP’s Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi seems unstoppable as he was comfortably leading his opponents.
Also, reports from Benue have indicated that the PDP, having failed against the APC in the presidential and National Assembly election, may have bounced back with a good fight, as it is reportedly not doing badly in areas like the South and North Eastern senatorial zones.
An air of uncertainty, however, hangs over Rivers State as the state was embroiled in strings of violence.
The story from Adamawa also showed that former Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nuhu Ribadu, is struggling for survival at the polls, as the effect of the last minute defection by some PDP bigwigs in the state to APC may have dimmed his popularity.
In Kaduna, reports show that former Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nasir El-Rufai, is giving the incumbent, Ramalan Yero, a good fight. Although no figure has been obtained from the state, field reports shows that El-Rufai may be ahead as at the time of filing this report.
Reports from Sokoto indicate that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, the APC governorship candidate, is only inches away from being declared winner in the state.
Down south, Oyo State governor, Abiola Ajimobi, is looking good to break a second term jinx, as he may become the first incumbent to do so in the state. This is if the results obtained so far are sustained across the state.
Although there was no governorship contest in Ekiti State, the PDP left nothing to spare for the opposition, as it reportedly won all 26 House of Assembly slots in the state.
In Ogun, it was a three-horse race involving incumbent Governor Ibikunle Amosun of the APC, Gboyega Isiaka of PDP and Kamar Akin-Odunsi of the Social Democratic Party (SDP). Reports, however, indicate that Amosun has some edge over the other two.
Sadly, the elections were marred by violence, leaving several people dead in some states, including Bayelsa, Rivers, Ebonyi, Cross River and Benue.
In Rivers State, an unidentified man was shot and beheaded in Asari Toru Local Government Area, where there were heavy shootings and chaos on Saturday.
Rivers state’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) office in Asari Toru, was also set ablaze.
According to reports filed by our correspondent, the incident disrupted the accreditation process, as INEC was not willing to deploy staff in the affected areas until safety was guaranteed.
Asari Toru LGA is the home of former leader of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Asari Dokubo, and Sports Minister, Tammy Danagogo.
In Bayelsa State, violence erupted at Unit 11, Ward 6 in Oruma community, Ogbia Constituency 3, after thugs, believed to be working for the APC, disrupted the accreditation being conducted by INEC officials.
In Ebonyi State, the PDP chairman in Ishielu local government area, Emeka Nworie, was assassinated in his residence at the Ezzagu community.
Also, Mike Ojon, a close ally of the PDP deputy governorship candidate, Kelechi Igwe, was shot dead in his home in Ikwo Local Council Area by people suspected to be members of the opposition party.
Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Chris Anyanwu, said the assailants, before killing Ojon, had approached his wife demanding for money before shooting him.
Also, two people were reportedly killed in Mkpani, Yakurr Local Government of Cross River State.
This is as gunmen attacked the residence of a former governor, Clement Ebri.
The gunmen reportedly went after electoral officials that had ran into Ebri’s compound for safety.
Also, the elections claimed a casualty in Benue State as a PDP member was shot dead in Makurdi, the state capital.
An eye witness told Sunday Independent that the youths were quarrelling over the sharing formula of a largesse from a politician.
In Akwa Ibom, a gun-wielding thug mistakenly pulled the trigger and shot himself shot to death at Etoi Ward 4, Uyo Local Government Area.
This is as the issue of missing or fake result sheets triggered a protest in some parts of Uyo, Ibiono and Nsit Ubium local government areas.
The protests stalled the accreditation process in Ibiono, Uyo and Nsit Ubium where some APC members insisted on seeing the result sheets.
In Warri, Delta State, two brothers were reportedly killed during a fracas between PDP and APC supporters.
Also, similar incidences were also recorded in Kogi, Katsina, Plateau and Lagos states.
Meanwhile, INEC is yet to officially release any result as at press time, although the Lagos REC, Akin Orebiyi, hinted that the full result in the state might be released by midday on Sunday.
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