APC, PDP Win Bye-Elections In Ondo, Nasarawa, Lagos, Oyo, Jigawa, Benue, Zamfara, Cross River, Ebonyi

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Mr Ifeoluwa Ehindero, winner of the Akoko North-East and Akoko North-West Federal constituency by-election in Ondo State.

Prof. Johnson Fasinmirin of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), the Returning Officer of the election, declared Ehindero winner after the counting of votes at the collation centre at Victory College, Ikare-Akoko on Saturday.

Fasinmirin said that the APC candidate polled 35,504 votes to defeat his closest rival, Mr Olalekan Bada of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who had 15,328 votes.

The Returning Officer said that total votes cast were 51,896 with valid votes cast being 51,341 while 555 votes were rejected.

“I, Fasinmirin Johnson, hereby certify that I am the Returning Officer for the 2024 Akoko North-East and Akoko North-West Federal Constituency By-election held on Feb. 3.

“The election was contested and Ehindero Ifeoluwa Babajide of APC polled 35,504 while Bada Olalekan Oladapo scored 15,328.

“That Ehindero Ifeoluwa Babajide of APC having satisfied the requirements of the law is hereby declared the winner and return elected,” he said.

Ehindero defeated Bada with 20,176 votes to emerge winner while African Democratic Congress candidate, Ishmail Adeshina with 213 votes came third.

The Akoko North-East and Akoko North-West Federal constituency seat became vacant following the resignation of Mr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who was appointed Minister of Interior by President Bola Tinubu.

Candidates of eight political parties contested for the vacant seat to represent the Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives.
They are: ADC, APC, APGA, PDP, NNPP, APP, SDP and LP.

INEC also declared Mr Mohammed Omadefu of All Progressives Congress (APC), winner of Saturday’s rerun election into the Keana constituency seat in the Nasarawa State House of Assembly.
The Appeal Court in sitting Abuja had in November 2023, declared the March 18, 2023 state assembly election in Keana constituency inconclusive, and ordered a rerun election in five polling units in Agaza electoral ward to determine the winner of the election.

Declaring the result of the rerun election in Keana, the constituency’s returning officer, Dr Hassan Imam, from the Federal University of Lafia, said that Omadefu of APC polled 557 votes, while Mr Basil Osheka of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 470 votes.

He explained that votes garnered by each candidate at the rerun election would be added to the votes scored by the candidates during the March 18, 2023 elections in order to declare the winner of the state constituency seat at the Assembly.

Imam, therefore, said that Omadefu of APC scored 8, 069 votes to defeat his closest rival, Osheka of PDP who polled 7, 917 votes.

“Consequently, Mohammed Omadefu of APC having scored the highest number of votes is hereby declare the winner and returned elected,” he said.

Reacting to his victory, Omadefu expressed gratitude to the people of Agaza electoral ward and the entire Keana for their love and support.

He promised to consolidate on his previous achievements with the renewed mandate given by the people.

With Omadefu’s victory, the APC had regained its majority in the Nasarawa Assembly with 10 members, followed by the PDP with nine members.
In Lagos State, INEC declared the APC candidate, Mr Fuad Laguda, winner of the Surulere Federal Constituency I by-election.

Laguda had in the build up to the election, said he would succeed Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, who after winning in the 2023 general elections, was appointed by President Bola Tinubu as his Chief of Staff.

Declaring the winner at INEC Office at 9.04.p.m., the Returning Officer for the Surulere Federal Constituency I by-election, Prof. Adebayo Oladipo of the University of Lagos, said that Laguda polled 11, 203 votes to defeat other candidates that contested in the election.

According to him, the Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Jerry Afemighie, came a distant second with 278 votes while the candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr Adeola Adebanjo polled 240 to come a distant third.

He said that African Democratic Congress (ADC) scored 40 votes, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), polled six votes, Allied People’s Movement (APM) scored seven votes while Action People’s Party (APP) got four votes.

Oladipo added that the Social Democratic Party (SDP) scored two votes; Young Progressives Party(YPP) nine votes; Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), four votes; while the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) got eight votes.

The returning officer said the total number of registered voters in the constituency was 140,377 while the total number of accredited voters was 11,943.

According to him, the total valid vote cast is 11,801, the total rejected vote is 138 while the total votes is 11, 939.

Oladipo declared: “I, Prof. Simeon Adebayo Oladipo, hereby certify that I am the returning officer for the 2024 Surulere I Federal Constituency by-election held on the third Day of February, 2024.

“The election was contested.

“That Laguda Kayode Fuad of APC having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and he is returned elected.”

Agents of various political parties that contested in the election signed the election results one after the other.

The declaration was carried out under heavy security presence.

Twelve candidates of different political parties scrambled for 121,111 votes of registered voters with Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in the election.
In Oyo State, APC candidate, Mr Shittu Ibrahim, was declared winner of the State House of Assembly re-run election for Saki West State Constituency.

INEC announced the result of the poll on Saturday evening at the INEC Collation Centre in Saki West Local Government Area.

The Returning Officer for Saki West State Constituency, Prof. Olusola Oyewo, announced the results.

Oyewo said that Ibrahim scored 13,850 votes to beat his closest opponent, Mr Julius Okedoyin of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who got 13,670 votes.

The Court of Appeal had sacked Ibrahim, who was declared winner of the election held on March 18.

Okedoyin approached the court having not satisfied with the declaration of Ibrahim as winner by INEC.

The Saturday re-run election was conducted in accordance with the court order.

The exercise was held in polling units at Odo Osun PU 007 Odo Osun area with 750 registered voters and 019 Ogbalanja area with 554 registered voters.

INEC declared Mr Yakubu Adamu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the winner of Saturday’s rerun election into the Birninkudu/Buji Federal Constituency.

The Appeal Court had in November 2023, declared the March 18, 2023, Birninkudu/Buji Federal Constituency election inconclusive and ordered a rerun in eight polling units, with seven in Birninkuda Local Government Area (LGA) and one in Buji LGA, to determine the winner of the election.

Declaring the result of the election, the returning officer, Prof Ahmad Baita, said that Adamu of PDP polled 43,053 votes, while Mr Magaji Da’u of the All Progressive Congress (APC) scored 42,544 votes.

Baita explained that votes garnered by each candidate at the rerun election would be added to the votes scored during the March 18, 2023 elections in order to determine the winner of the constituency seat at the National Assembly.

“I Professor Ahmed Baita Garko, hereby certify that I’m the returning officer for the 2024 Birninkudu/Buji constituency rerun election, held on the 3rd of February, 2024.

“That the election was contested and the candidates received the following votes; Kamalu Usaman of ADC scored 81 votes, Isa Ado of ADP scored 170 votes, Da’u Magaji Aliyu of APC got 42,544 votes, Ali Abdullahi Umar of NNPP scored 1,106 votes, Adamu Yakubu of PDP scored 43,053 votes and Abdullahi Buhari of SDP scored 62 votes.

“That Adamu Yakubu of PDP, having satisfying the requirements of law, is hereby declared winner and returned elected,” Baita said.

Reacting to his victory, Yakubu expressed gratitude to the people of the eight affected polling units and the entire constituency for reaffirming their support to him.

He promised to consolidate on his previous achievements with the renewed mandate given to him.

APC candidate for the Guma I State Constituency in Benue, Mr Terwase Uche, has been declared winner of the rerun election by Returning Officer, Prof Julius Ikya.

Ikya declared Uche as the winner of the rerun election on Saturday in Daudu, the constituency headquarters.

Declaring the result, the returning officer said that Uche polled 5,289 to defeat the PDP candidate who polled 4,134 while the Labour Party (LP) candidate scored 2,833.

The constituency has six council wards namely Mbabai, Mbadwem, Mbawa, Nyiev, Uvir and Mbayev Yandev.

The Returning Officer in Zamfara State, Prof. Femi Rufus, of the Federal University, Gusau, declared Mustapha Sadauki of PDP as the winner of the Shinkafi State Assembly Constituency.

The Returning Officer said Sadauki, having met the requirements of the law and scored the highest votes, was declared as the winner and returned elected.

The candidate defeated Usman Shinkafi of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with 32 votes from the first and rerun elections.

Prof. Rufus said the total registered voters of the nine polling units from five wards were 6,651 out of which 5,457 were accredited for the rerun election.

The cumulative result of the first and rerun elections was announced as Registered voters, 95,646; Accredited voters, 29,184; Votes cast, 28,873; Valid votes, 28,262; and Rejected votes, 611.

He said the total votes scored by APC candidate were 13,508 while that of PDP was 13,540, therefore the APC candidate was defeated by 32 votes.
In Cross River State, APC and PDP shared the spoils in the court-ordered rerun election in four Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Cross River.

Declaring the results in the early hours of Sunday, INEC said that in the Akamkpa/Biase Federal Constituency rerun election, APC’s Emil Inyang secured the highest number of votes.

Inyang got 15,930 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Mr Austin Aidam of the PDP who secured 12,417 votes.

In the Obanliku State Constituency rerun election, PDP’s Ashakia Ashas scored 10,587 votes while his closest rival, APC’s Achunekang Sunday, scored 10,427 votes.

Similarly, in the Yala 2 State Constituency rerun election, Mr Achadu Martins of the PDP, who scored 9,168 votes, defeated his closest contestant, Mrs Nkasi Ekwok of the APC, who secured 8,647 votes.
In Ebonyi State, the APC candidate, Prof. Anthony Ani, was announced winner of Saturday’s Ebonyi South Senatorial by-election.

Ani won with 46,270 votes, defeating his closest rival, Ifeanyi Eleje of APGA who garnered 3,513.

Silas Onu of the PDP polled 2,783 votes and Mr Linus Okorie of the LP scored 2,710 votes in the election.

Returning Officer for the Ebonyi South Senatorial election, Eze Uchechukwu, disclosed this on Sunday in Afikpo Local Government Area of the state.

According to Eze, Prof. Ani, having certified by the law, is declared the winner and is returned elected.

The Returning Officer earlier announced a total votes of 56,363 were cast, while rejected votes were 695.