The All Progressives Congress (APC) is leading by a significant margin in results of the 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Kogi State so far declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Usman Ododo, candidate of the ruling party, has won in 11 LGAs, Muri Ajaka, his Social Democratic Party (SDP) rival has won in six, while Leke Abejide of African Democratic Party (ADC) has won in one LGA.

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So far, Ododo has polled 409,450 votes, Ajaka has had 208,503 while Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has polled 41,925 votes.

Below are the LGAs announced so far:

Okehi

APC 53,0623
PDP: 2,722
SDP: 153

Yagba East

APC: 7,096
PDP: 2,615
SDP: 312

Ijumu

APC 10,524
PDP: 6,909
SDP: 356

Mopa-Muro

APC: 5,077
PDP: 1,562
SDP: 253

Adavi

APC: 101,156
PDP: 1,005
SDP: 268

Ofu

APC: 5,245
PDP: 293
SDP: 28,768

Koton Karfe

APC: 14,769
PDP: 2,974
SDP: 8,441

Bassa

APC: 9,519
PDP: 3,605
SDP: 7,543

OMALA

APC: 2,902
PDP: 832
SDP: 18,160

Olamaboro

APC: 5,572
PDP: 1,376
SDP: 22,173

Ankpa

APC: 8,707
PDP: 3,654
SDP: 43,258

OKENE

APC: 138,416
PDP: 1,463
SDP: 271

Dekina

APC: 9,174
PDP: 499

SDP: 47,480

Ajaokuta

APC: 23,211
PDP: 483
SDP: 8,869

The Independent National Electoral Commission has announced the incumbent Governor of Imo State and candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Hope Uzodinma, as the winjner of the governorship election in the state.

Uzodinma polled 540,308 votes while the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Sam Anyanwu, scored 71,503 and Athan Achonu of the Labour Party (LP) polled 64,081 votes.

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The Returning Officer for the Imo State Governorship Election and Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Professor Abayomi Fashina, who announced the result said Uzodinma scored the highest number of valid votes cast and was returned elected for a second term in office.

Uzodimma won in all the 27 local government areas of the state where the November 11, 2023 governorship poll.

Governor Hope Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has won in all the 27 local government areas where the November 11, 2023 governorship poll held in Imo State.

The collation of results started around 2am on Sunday in Owerri, the state capital, with the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Prof Abayomi Fashina, as the state Returning Officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the election.

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Others considered to be the incumbent governor’s main challengers – Samuel Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Achonu Nneji of the Labour Party – did not win a single LGA.

See the full results below:

1. NJABA LGA:

APC – 8, 110
LP – 995
PDP – 2, 404

2. OBOWO LGA:

APC – 17,514
LP -. 3,404
PDP – 711

3. Oru West:

APC: 38,726
LP- 1,867
PDP – 987

4. Owerri North

APC – 8,536
LP – 4,386
PDP – 3,449

5. NWANGELE LGA:

APC – 29,282
LP – 895
PDP – 2,132

6. ORSU LGA

APC – 18,003
LP _. 813
PDP – 624

7. Ikeduru

APC – 22,356
LP – 1,377
PDP – 7,258

8. Owerri municipal

APC – 5,324
LP 2,914
PDP 2,180

9. Onuimo LGA
APC – 13,434
LP – 1,753
PDP – 2,676

10.NKWERRE LGA

APC – 22, 488
LP – 1,320
PDP – 2,632

11. ISU LGA

APC – 11,312
LP – 1,253
PDP – 2, 508

12. IDEATO SOUTH LGA

APC – 16, 891
LP – 1,649
PDP – 2,469

13. OKIGWE LGA

APC – 55, 585
LP – 2,655
PDP – 1,688

14. AHIAZU MBAISE

APC – 8,369
LP – 2,214
PDP – 3,507

15. Ehime Mbano

APC – 6,632
LP – 4,957
PDP – 681

16. ISIALA MBANO

APC – 10,860
LP – 2,419
PDP – 1,659

17. ORU EAST LGA

APC – 67, 315
LP – 3,443
PDP – 2, 202

18. OWERRI WEST LGA

APC. – 9, 205
LP – 2,597
PDP – 3,305

19. ABOH MBAISE LGA

APC – 9,638
LP – 2,435
PDP – 1,724

20. NGOR OKPALA LGA

APC – 14,143
LP – 2, 716
PDP – 3,451

21. EZINIHITTE MBAISE LGA

APC – 8, 473
LP – 3, 332
PDP – 2,784

22. Orlu
APC – 37, 614
LP – 2,424
PDP _ 3,690

23 IHITTE UBOMA

APC. – 11, 099
LP – 2, 766
PDP – 3, 078

24. Mbaitoli

APC – 12,556
LP – 4,007
PDP – 5,343

25. IDEATO NORTH
APC – 5,271
LP – 1,522
PDP – 2, 062

26. OHAJI EGBEMA

APC – 14,962
LP – 1,506
PDP – 3, 3694

27.Oguta

APC – 57, 310
LP – 1,941
PDP – 2,653

The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja has reserved judgment in the appeal by the governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress in Plateau state, Nentawe Goshwe challenging the victory of Caleb Mutfwang.

Mutfwang, of the Peoples Democratic Party, polled 525,299 votes while Goshwe polled 481,370 votes in the March 18 governorship election in the state.

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Goshwe challenged the election of Mutfwang at the tribunal, claiming that the governor was not validly nominated and sponsored by his party.

He equally alleged that the election of Mutfwang was not conducted in compliance with the electoral act and he did not win the majority of lawful votes cast during the election.

However, a three-member panel of the tribunal headed by Justice R. Irele-Ifijeh in a unanimous decision, dismissed the petition for lacking in merit.

Displeased with the judgement, the APC candidate appealed the tribunal judgment.

He insisted that the governor was not qualified to have contested the election because he was not validly sponsored and nominated by a political party.

He argued that the PDP lacked structure and was not qualified to sponsor any candidate in an election.

The APC candidate also told the Appellate court in his notice of appeal that there was over-voting and non-compliance with the 2022 Electoral Act, during the 2023 governorship election in the state.

Making his submission on Saturday, the lead counsel for the appellants, Prof. Olagoke, SAN, told the court that Mutfwang was not qualified to contest the election by a lack of valid sponsorship by a political party, contrary to section 177 (C) of the 1999 Constitution.

Olagoke added that there were several court judgments including decisions of the appellate court to back that.

He argued that the votes the governor polled were wasted votes, urging the court to declare the appellant winner.

Speaking, the counsel for the governor, Godwin Agabi, SAN stated that the issue of nomination and sponsorship of a candidate for election is purely an internal affair of a political party, adding that the court has no jurisdiction over it.

He submitted that the word qualification used by the petitioner is misleading as the issue raised by the petition bordered on nomination and sponsorship.

Urging the court to dismiss the appeal for lacking in merit, he submitted that in about 30 case laws and decisions of the appellate court, the court following judicial precedents, rightly held that it lacked jurisdiction on issues of nomination and sponsorship of candidates of political parties.

The governor’s counsel submitted that the petitioners contradicted themselves by urging the court to declare them as winners of an election they claimed was invalid, null, and void.

PDP’s counsel, Emeka Etiaba, SAN, urged the court to strike out grounds 1 and 8 of the appellant’s grounds of appeal together with some other issues raised in the appeal for lacking in competence.

He also moved a notice of preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the court to entertain the appeal.

He argued that the basis of the appellant’s submissions concerning the qualification of the governor was incorrect in law.

He drew the attention of the court to the judgment of the tribunal that the governor was validly nominated and sponsored by a political party.

Etiaba added that the issue of nomination and sponsorship is an internal affair of a political party and a pre-election issue that only a High Court has jurisdiction to entertain.

The three-member panel led by Justice Elfrieda Williams- Dawodu after listening to the submission of the counsel reserved judgment to a date to be communicated to parties.

The uploading of results from polling units for Saturday’s governorship elections in Bayelsa, Kogi and Imo is in progress.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that as of 5:55 pm, 1,417 polling unit results for Bayelsa, representing 63.15 per cent of the 2,244 expected polling unit results, had been uploaded by INEC.

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NAN reports that the results were uploaded on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) designated portal.

For Imo, 2,899 out of 4,720 expected polling unit results, representing 60.93 per cent, were so far.

Also, 1,914 out of 3,508 polling unit results, representing 54.56 per cent of the governorship election results for Kogi, had been uploaded on the INEC portal. (NAN)

Timipre Sylva, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa State, has scored zero in Governor Douye Diri’s polling unit.

Sylva is challenging Diri, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who is seeking reelection.

See the results below:

Sampou/Kalama Ward, PU 004, Kolokuma/Opokuma LG, Bayelsa

APC: 0
ADP: 1
PDP: 218
LP: 0

Sorting, counting of votes ongoing in Bayelsa

Sorting and counting of votes have commenced in many polling units in Bayelsa after voting in the governorship election ended at 2.30 pm.

At PU 10, Agric Meeting Hall, Attissa 1, Yenagoa, the voting process ended at 2.30 pm while sorting of ballot papers commenced at 2.35 pm in the presence of party agents and security personnel.

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It was also ongoing at PU 05 Government House Agric, Attissa 1 Ward as at 2.55 pm, and PU 047, Afin-Aken Play Ground III, Onopa, Attissa 1 Ward at 3.02 pm.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the sorting of votes commenced at 3.07 pm at PU 016 Fakulu Primary School (West), Epie lll Ward, while sorting was concluded at PU 035, Ekeki Central Motor Park, Epie lll Ward, where recording of the result was ongoing.

Also at Fankien l and ll/Corpers Lodge Road, Epie lll WaWard Yenagoa, the sorting and counting had been concluded, while result was being uploaded to the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV) as at 3.21 pm.

The PU Assistant Presiding Officer at the polling unit, Richmond Awipi, told NAN they had successfully uploaded the unit’s election results to the IReV. (NAN)

An 86-year-old woman, Mrs Mercy Okodo, has expressed disappointment that her name was missing on the voters register in her polling unit in Yenagoa, Bayelsa.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the woman said she trekked to Polling Unit 011 at Yenada Market Square, Epie III Ward, Yenagoa, in order to vote for her governorship candidate.

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NAN reports also that the polling unit has 822 registered voters.

Okodo expressed disappointment that her name was missing in spite of voting at the same polling unit in the past.

“I’m surprised to be told that my name is not on the voters list, it’s very disappointing,” the octogenarian said.

Okodo, who said she was at the polling unit before voting started, was eventually assisted to return home by a good Samaritan.

Meanwhile, Mrs Sarah Godfrey, a 60-year-old civil servant, said after casting her vote at the polling unit that the election has been peaceful.

She commended INEC for making special arrangements for elderly persons to vote without hassle.

Godfrey, who recently had a surgery, said she came out to vote for the future of her children.

“I had surgical operation, but I could not sit down at home without voting. I am doing this because I believe it will be the turn of my children tomorrow.” (NAN)

The Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dino Melaye, on Saturday demanded the cancellation of the elections which were held in five Local Government Areas of the state.

The LGAs, according to Melaye are Okene, Okehi, Ajaokuta, Adavi, and Ogori/Mangogo.

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The candidate alleged that the results from the units were compromised.

Posting via his official X account, Melaye said, “INEC must cancel the election in the 5 local governments of Kogi-Central. The election in Okene, Okehi, Ajaoukuta, Adavi, and Ogori/Mangogo is a scam coordinated from the highest level of INEC.”

Melaye had earlier failed to show up at his polling unit situated at Iluafon quarters, Aiyetoro 1, Ijumu Local Government Area of the state.

Operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had also visited his polling units.

Dino, alongside the candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Leke Abejide, popularly referred to as “Elder” are the two major candidates gunning for the position of governor from the Kogi West Senatorial District.

Electoral observers say Abejide who is a serving lawmaker may affect Dino’s chances at the governorship polls.

Kogi-West, which Dino hails from has never produced a governor since the inception of the state.

The Social Democratic Party (SDP) has secured victory at Grade 1 Area Court, Ajaka Ward 07 in Igalamela/Odolu Local Government Area of Kogi state.

The party polled 111 votes to defeat the All Progressives Congress (APC), which trailed with 05 votes while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured zero votes.

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Earlier when he cast his vote at his Ajaka polling unit in IgalaMela/Odolu LGA, Muritala Ajaka, SDP gubernatorial candidate, raised alarm of an going electoral malpractices at Adavi, Okene ,Okehi and Ogori Magogo local governments.

While he praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a job well done, he implored the commission to call their officials in charge of the said LGAs where voters are alleging of no result sheets to order immediately.

He added that their grievances in respect of ongoing elections had been reported to INEC and other appropriate authorities for action.