Imports of Kogi, Bayelsa guber polls

Last Saturday’s governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states proved to be an elixir for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), particularly in its quest to nip the phenomenon of inconclusive elections and vote buying in the bud. Although there were pockets of violence, ballot box snatching and other electoral malpractices which were capable of truncating the elections and rendering them inconclusive, INEC still summoned the courage to declare the results of the elections. This is quite commendable.

The elections also recorded a major setback in Bayelsa state as the All Progressives Congress (APC) dislodged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), ending its 21-year rule in the state, which started on the return of democracy in 1999. The APC candidate (now governor-elect) in Bayelsa state, David Lyon, emerged winner of the governorship election. Lyon, who won in six of the state’s eight local government areas, polled 352,552 votes to defeat his closest rival, Senator Duoye Diri of the PDP, who got 143,172 votes. Diri won in two local government areas. It was also remarkable that in the former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Ogbia local government area, Bayelsa East, the APC defeated the PDP candidate by garnering 58,016 votes while Diri polled 13,763 votes.

INEC had on Monday officially declared Governor Yahaya Bello as the winner of Saturday’s governorship election in Kogi state. Announcement of the result was put on hold on Sunday after results in 19 out of 21 council areas were released by INEC. The commission said that it was still awaiting results from Lokoja and Ibaji council areas. It added that the result from Dekina needed  clarifications.

After announcing the remaining results of the polls at INEC office in Lokoja on Monday, returning officer, Prof Ibrahim Umar, said Bello of the APC had 406,222 votes to defeat his closest rival, Musa Wada of the PDP, who polled 189,704 votes. Umar said, “Bello Yahaya, having scored the highest number of votes is hereby declared the winner and therefore returned.”

Bello won in 12 of the 21 local government areas, namely, Lokoja, Ibaji, Adavi, Okehi, Okene, Kabba Bunu, Ogori Magongo, Koton Karfi, Mopa Muro, Ajaokuta, and Olamaboro. Wada won in Omala, Igalamela, Yagba East, Yagba West, Idah, Dekina, Bassa, Ofu, and Ankpa local government areas.

In Bayelsa sate, the Chief Returning Officer, Prof. Faraday Orumwense, had after he released the result of the Ekeremor local government area, which was the last being expected by INEC on Monday night, promised that the final result would be made public before 1am on Monday. Orumwense made good his promise as he announced that Lyon polled 352,552 votes to defeat Diri, who polled 143,172 votes some minutes after 1am.

Lyon was declared winner in six out of the eight local government areas announced by the INEC at the Prof. Mahmood Yakubu Media Centre in the state commission’s headquarters in Yenagoa, the state capital.

However, President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday advised the PDP and other parties that were not satisfied with the results of the governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states to seek redress in court.

While he described Lyon’s victory as “impressive”, the president said Bello’s election was “a race well run and a victory well won.” Buhari asked those who were not happy with the outcome of the polls in the two states to go to court to seek redress. The president commended the APC and the people of the states, who exercised their civic rights in a peaceful manner, “notwithstanding the pockets of unrest recorded in some locations.”

He stated, “Violence during elections vitiates our commitment to demonstrate to the world and upcoming generation that we are a people capable of electing leaders in a peaceful and orderly manner”.

President Buhari said while officials of the INEC and security agencies did their best within the ambit of the law to ensure free, fair and credible elections, it is unfortunate that pockets of unrest, mostly sponsored by desperate politicians, were recorded during the polls, adding that he looks forward to working with the incoming government to improve the lives of the people in Bayelsa state, while ensuring the security of lives and property of all citizens.

He urged the governor-elect, Lyon, to carry other divergent interests along in the next phase of governance, imploring those not satisfied with the outcome of the polls to seek redress through the constitutionally established channels.

Buhari also noted that in Kogi, Bello ran a good race and won it well, describing the election and emergence of the APC candidate in Kogi state as “a race well run and a victory well won.” He condoled with families of those who lost their loved ones during the election in Kogi.

While congratulating INEC for its successful conduct of the Kogi and Bayelsa governorship elections as well as eliminating the incidence of ‘inconclusive elections and curbing the menace of vote buying we advise the commission to deploy the experiences of the two elections to improving the nation’s electoral process. We also congratulate the winners of the elections and urge the losers who are aggrieved to seek legal redress rather than the resort to self help and violence.

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