INEC DeclaresKogi Governorship Election Inconclusive AS 49 ThousandElectorates Couldn't Vote

The Independent National Electoral Commission has
declared Saturday’s governorship election in Kogi
state inconclusive.
According to results declared by

the Returning
Officer, Emmanuel Kucha (Vice-Chancellor of the
University of Agriculture, Makurdi), Abubakar Audu
of the All Progressives Congress scored 240,867
while Idris Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party
garnered 199,514 votes.
Mr. Kucha said the margin of votes between Messrs
Audu and Wada is 41,353. And that the election
was inconclusive because the total number of
registered voters in 91 polling units, in 18 local
government areas, where election was cancelled is
49,953.
That figure is higher than the 41,353 votes with
which Mr. Audu is ahead of Mr. Wada.
The returning officer said by INEC guideline, no
return could be made for the election until
supplementary election is held in areas where
election was cancelled.
Before the technicality over cancelled votes were
brought to the fore, many media establishments,
including PREMIUM TIMES, had declared Mr. Audu
winner of the election.
The APC candidate had prevailed over his Peoples
Democratic Party’s counterpart in 21 local
government areas in the state, scoring 41,353 more
votes than him.
The local governments won by Audu are Ofu, Ida,
Kabba Bunu, Yagba East, Yagba West, Adavi, Koton
Karfi, Ankpa, Okehi, Ajaokuta, Ijumun, Olamaboro,
Igalamela, Bassa, Lokoja, and Ibaji.
The PDP was victorious in five local governments
namely Ogori Mangogo, Omala, Okene, Dekina and
Mopa-moro.
If Mr. Audu is eventually pronounced winner after a
yet-to-be scheduled supplementary election, he
would be returning as governor of the state 12 years
after he was defeated by the PDP as he sought a
second term.
He is being prosecuted by the anti-graft agency, the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, of
misappropriating N11 billion of the state’s funds
while he was governor between 1999 and 2003.
Mr. Audu has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
At the trial of the corruption case on March 4, the
EFCC also accused Mr. Audu of ordering one of his
aides to assault Haruna Ashade, an EFCC operative,
for daring to take his photograph in court.
But despite his ongoing corruption trial, the former
governor emerged winner of the APC governorship
primary held in Lokoja on August 29.
He polled 1, 109 votes to beat his closest rival,
Yahaya Bello, who scored 703 votes.
If sworn in as governor after the supplementary
election, his trial would have to be suspended as he
would be covered by constitutional immunity from
trial for the four years he would be in power.