The All Progressive Congress, APC has built on its massive successes in the March 28 Presidential and National Assembly polls by sweeping the governorship and state house of assembly elections in majority of the states of the federation.
In the results of the elections in 26 of the 29 states where the governorship polls were held, APC has won in 19 states while the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, emerged victorious in 7 states.
The results in Abia, Imo and Taraba remain contentious. While the collation of results from one local government is delaying the declaration of the results in Taraba State, the election in Abia State was stalemated and INEC has ruled the elections in Imo State inconclusive.
According to results so far released by the INEC, the states won by the APC include Oyo, Lagos, Katsina, Ogun, Adamawa, Kano, Jigawa, Nasarawa, Bauchi, Sokoto, Kebbi, Yobe, Borno, Kaduna, Niger, Plateau, Benue, Zamfara and Kwara states.
The PDP won in Delta, Rivers, Enugu, Ebonyi, Rivers, Gombe, and Akwa Ibom states.
With the present results, the APC would have governors in 21 states, the PDP in eleven and the All Progressive Grand Alliance in one (Anambra).
Elections into governorship positions took place in 29 states of the federation while the state assembly elections held in all the 36 states. There was no governorship poll in Edo, Ondo, Ekiti, Bayelsa, Kogi, Anambra and Osun since the tenures of their governors are yet to end.
If the Taraba result swings the way of the APC, the party would rule in the whole of the North except for Gombe State, where the incumbent PDP governor, Ibrahim Dankwambo won re – election and Kogi State, which has a sitting PDP governor.
The APC has however lost in Rivers State where its governor, its candidate lost to Nyesom Wike, the PDP flag bearer.
The PDP also retained a strong foothold in all the states in the South-south, except Edo which has a sitting APC governor, and South-east but for Abia, the result of which has not been declared.
Kano sustained its position as an APC stronghold when its governorship candidate, Abdullahi Ganduje, emerged winner of the governorship election in the state, garnering 1,546,434 votes to beat the PDP’s Salihu Takai, who polled 509,726 votes.
In the state assembly contest, the APC won all the 44 available seats, leaving the PDP without a single spot.
A former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Masari, won the governorship election in Katsina state on the platform of the APC.
The returning officer, Lawal Bilbis, said Masari polled 943,085 votes to defeat PDP’s Musa Nashuni, who scored 476,768.
The Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM, candidate, Yakubu Lado, got 50,361 votes, while Umar Abdullahi of All Progressive Grand Alliance, APGA secured 42,302 votes.
In Kaduna, former Federal Capital Territory, FCT, minister and candidate of APC, Nasir el-Rufai, won the election convincingly.
Announcing the result at the INEC office inKaduna, the state’s returning officer, Jafaru Kaura, said that El-Rufai polled a total of 1,117,635 votes to defeat the incumbent governor and the PDP’s Muhktar Yero, who scored 485,833.
El-Rufai also won in 17 local government areas, while PDP clinched six local government areas.
Governor Yero congratulated the winner of the election even before the results were announced by INEC.
In Jigawa, the APC governorship candidate, Badaru Abubakar, won the contest.
Announcing the result on Monday in Dutse, the returning officer, James Ayatse, said the APC candidate polled 648 045, to defeat his closest opponent, Aminu Ringim of PDP who garnered 479 447 votes.
It would be recalled that Badaru contested in 2011 governorship poll on the platform of defunct ACN and lost to the incumbent governor Sule Lamido.
In Adamawa, a serving senator, Bindo Mohammed Jibrilla, the APC candidate, won the governorship election.
Jibrilla polled 362,329 out of 706,092 votes cast to defeat the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Markus Gundiri, who polled 181,806 votes. Former ant-graft czar, Nuhu Ribadu who flew the PDP flag emerged a distant third with 98,917 votes while the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Movement, PDM, Ahmed Modibbo, polled 32,985 votes to come forth in the keenly contested race.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, won the governorship race in Sokoto. Tambuwal, who ran on the platform of the APC, won in all the 23 local government areas in the state.
Announcing the results in Sokoto Sunday evening, Abubakar Abdulahi Bagudu of the Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto, who served as the returning officer of the INEC, said Tambuwal scored a total of 645,389 votes to beat Abdullahi Wali, the PDP candidate.
Tambuwal, got elected into the House of Representatives in 2011 on the platform of the PDP but decamped to the APC only in October, 2014 but managed to pick the party’s governorship ticket.
The APC also had cause to celebrate in Yobe State, where its candidate, governor Ibrahim Gaidam, was re-elected after he polled the majority of votes in the election.
The returning officer for the election, Ibrahim Njodi, said Gaidam scored 334, 847 votes as against 179, 700 votes polled by Adamu Maina Waziri, PDP’s candidate.
The APC candidate won in 16 of the 17 local government areas in the state while Waziri won in just one.
In like manner, the APC swept the House of Assembly seats, winning 22 and leaving only two for the PDP.
Simon Lalong of APC also emerged as the winner of the gubernatorial election in Plateau State, after defeating five other candidates.
The returning officer, Emmanuel Kucha, announced that Lalong polled a total of 564 913 votes, to defeat his closet rival Gyang Pwajok of the PDP, who scored 520 627 in a close contest.
The PDP made a good showing in Gombe State where the incumbent, Ibrahim Dankwambo, emerged the winner of the governorship election.
Dankwambo scored 285,369 votes to beat his closest rival, Inuwa Yahya of the APC, who scored 205,132 votes across the 11 local government areas of the state.
It would be recalled that APC garnered majority votes during the presidential elections in the state on March 28 and won two of the senatorial seats.
The APC governorship candidate in Bauchi State, Mohammed Abubakar was declared winner of the gubernatorial contest. He scored 654,934 votes to defeat nine other contestants, the closest being Mohammed Jatau of the PDP who secured 282,650 votes.
Governor of Zamfara State, Abdulaziz Yari, who contested for re-election on the platform of the APC was re-elected into office..
In the result declared at about 4.30am on Monday in Gusau, the returning officer, Abdullahi Zuru, declared Yari winner with a total vote count of 716,964. Mamuda Shinkafi of the PDP scored 201,938 votes to come second. The APGA candidate, Sani Shinkafi, polled 2,385 votes to come third.
In Ogun State, one of the earliest results to be announced, the incumbent, Ibikunle Amosun, defeated PDP’s Ganiyu Isiaka to secure a second term in office. While Amosun scored 306, 988 votes, Isiaka secured 201, 440 votes.
The Gboyega Nasir of the Isiaka Campaign Organization however rejected the result of the governorship poll, saying it was a travesty staged to help the APC achieve victory.
In Oyo State, Abiola Ajimobi, also of the APC, made history when he became the first governor of the state to clinch a second term in office.
He defeated two former governors, Rashidi Ladoja of the Accord Party and Adebayo Alao-Akala of Labour Party to come first in the race.
Ajimobi polled 327,310 votes; Ladoja had 254,520 and Alao-Akala , 184,111.
In Lagos State, it was equally celebration galore when APC’s candidate, Akinwunmi Ambode, polled 811,994 votes to defeat PDP’s Jimi Agbaje, who scored 659,788 votes in a keenly contested election.
Agbaje has since congratulated the governor elect even though his party has cited widespread irregularities which it claimed robbed it of victory in the Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre.
In Kwara State, governor Abdulfatah Ahmed of the APC was re-elected for a second time in office. He was declared the winner of the governorship election after he polled 295 832 votes to defeat the candidate of PDP, Simeon Ajibola, who scored 115 220 votes.
Candidate of the PDP, Nyesom Wike was declared winner of the controversial governorship polls in Rivers state, polling a total of 1,029,102 votes amounting to 87.77 per cent to beat APC’s Dakuku Peterside who got 124,896 votes or 10.65 per cent of the votes cast.
The returning officer, Faraday Oruwense, who announced the results at the Rivers State office of INEC in Port Harcourt in the early hours of Monday, added that Tonye Princewill of the Labour Party, LP, polled 10,142, about 0.86 per cent of the votes to come third.
In Cross River State, PDP’s Ben Ayade, was declared the winner of the governorship election, having polled 342,016 votes, ahead of the APC’s Odey Ochicha, whose votes totalled 53,983.
In Akwa Ibom State, there were allegations of massive irregularities and widespread violence. At least three people were killed Saturday during the elections, the police said on Sunday.
PDP’s candidate, Emmanuel Udom was however declared winner of the governorship election in the state. The returning officer for the election, James Epoke, said Udom scored 996, 071 votes to defeat his APC opponent, Umana Umana, who polled 89, 865 votes.
According to the results, Helen Esuene of Labour Party scored 8,600 votes while Samuel Akpan of Accord Party polled 10, 598 votes. PDP won in all the 31 local government areas of the state.
In Ebonyi State, the deputy governor and PDP’s governorship candidate, Dave Umah has won the election.
The state collation officer, Joseph Ahaneku, declared that Umahi scored 289, 867 votes to beat his closest rival, Nkwegu, who polled 124, 817. The governorship candidate of APC, Julius Ucha came a distant third position with 27, 583.
All the thirteen council areas of the state were won by the PDP.
Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of the PDP also emerged the winner of the governorship election in Enugu State. The returning officer, Hilary Edoga, said that Ugwuanyi polled 482,227 votes to defeat his closest rival, Okey Ezea of the APC who got 43,839 votes.
The PDC governorship candidate, Oguakwa, has congratulated Ugwuanyi on his victory.
Governor Umaru Almakura of the APC has retained his seat in Nasarawa State.
The results were declared early Monday morning amid tight security. The returning officer, Abdulmuninu Ranfindadi, announced that Almakura won the election by polling 309,746, to defeat erstwhile Information minister, Labaran Maku of APGA who polled 178,983 and Yusuf Agabi of PDP scored 119,782 votes.
Ranfindadi explained that Almakura won 25 per cent of the votes in 12 out of the 13 local government areas of the state.
In Benue State, a former minister in the outgoing president Jonathan cabinet and candidate of the APC Samuel Ortom, won the gubernatorial polls in the state.
He got 422,932 votes while PDP’s Terhemen Tarzoor polled 313,878 votes to emerge second.
The PDP in the state has congratulated the governor elect but decried irregularities in the process that threw up the new governor.
In Niger State, the APC also showed its superiority again when its candidate, Abubakar Sani Bello was declared the winner of the governorship election in the state.
Bello scored 593, 702 votes to defeat PDP’s candidate, Umar Mohammed Nasko, who scored 239, 772 votes. The contest had 10 candidates.
In Imo State, INEC declared the governorship election inconclusive. Governor Rochas Okorocha, APC candidate was initially thought to have won the election when it was announced via several media outlets that he scored 385,671 votes compared to the 306,142 votes scored by PDP’s candidate, Emeka Ihedioha, who is currently deputy speaker of the House of Representatives.
Returning Officer, Ibidapo Obe, declared the election inconclusive stating that due to the number of cancelled votes which is about 144,715 in relation to the margin of win by the incumbent which is put at 79,529, a new date would have to be fixed for supplementary elections in the wards where elections were cancelled.
Similatly, in Abia State, there is a stalemate as announcement of results was halted abruptly on Sunday after the returning officer, Benjamin Ozumba cancelled results in three local government areas of the state.
Ozumba announced the cancellation of results from Osisioma, Obingwa and Isialangwa North Local government areas citing, “incontrovertible evidence of violence’’ and unfavorable reports from international observers.