- Faleke’s fate unknown
Despite the voter’s low turnout, the all All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has emerged winner in the Kogi State governorship supplementary election.
Bello had replaced the former candidate of the party, Alhaji AbubakarAudu who died on the verge of victory in the inconclusive governorship election held two weeks ago.
The APC candidate polled 6,885 votes to defeat incumbent governor and Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Mr Idris Wada, who got 5,363 votes. Bello was declared Governor-elect by the state Returning Officer, Professor Kusa Emmanuel, having polled a total of 247,752 as against PDP’s 204,877 votes.
The Saturday election, which had been projected to be a walkover for Bello, as announced by INEC at its office in Lokoja showed that in Okene, Yahaya Bello’s local government, the APC candidate polled 208 votes while Wada got 2 votes.
Surprising, in Dekina, Captain Wada’s local government, APC scored 2178, while PDP got 1999. Other results announced showed that in Okehi, APC scored 108 votes, PDP 0; in Kogi KK, APC got 406, PDP 281; Idah, APC got 62, PDP 70; Yagba West, APC 86, PDP 73; Adavi, APC 878, PDP 12; Igalamela/Odolu; APC 92, PDP 434; and in Kabba/Bunu APC 201, PDP 131; Ajaokuta, APC 538, PDP 12.
Counting began early but progressed into late evening Saturday in the supplementary governorship election held in 91 polling units of the state.
APC had defeated the ruling PDP in the state in the main election on November 21, but it was with a margin lower than the number of registered voters in the 91 polling units where the election was cancelled.
This led to the declaration of the governorship poll as inconclusive by INEC. The late APC candidate polled 240,867 votes ahead of Wada who polled 199,514 leaving a difference of 41,353. The number of cancelled votes was about 44,500.
While yesterday’s supplementary election was relatively peaceful, it was marked by low voter turnout.
However, the fate of Yahaya’s unwilling running mate, Abiodun Faleke, is unknown as he had vowed never to be a deputy governor to Bello.
According to him, “I’m a governor elect and I can’t be a deputy governorship candidate to Bello.” Bello though could not pull through his suit at the Federal High Court seeking to declare him governor, indications showed that he would proceed to the election petition tribunal.