APC wins in 13 states, PDP victorious in four

Winners of Saturday’s governorship
election began to emerge on
Sunday afternoon with the All
Progressives Congress topping the
Peoples Democratic Party in the
results so far released by the
Independent National Electoral
Commission.
There were however still pockets
of protests and killings in a few
states even as the results were
being announced and collation
taking place in many other states.
The first to be officially announced
victorious was Ogun State Governor
Ibikunle Amosun, who defeated
PDP’s Ganiyu Isiaka. Amosun of the
APC is therefore set for a second
term in office.
The Gboyega Nasir Isiaka Campaign
Organisation rejected the result of
the governorship poll, saying it was
“unfortunate and a travesty staged
to help the APC achieve victory.”
It claimed that the outcome of the
election was clearly not a true
reflection of Ogun people’s wish
and said that the result would be
challenged as appropriate.
In the neigbouring Oyo State,
Abiola Ajimobi, also of the APC
became the first governor of the
state to clinch a second term in
office.
He defeated former governors,
Rashidi Ladoja of the Accord Party
and Adebayo Alao-Akala of Labour
Party in the race.
While the governor polled 327,310
votes; Ladoja had 254,520 and Alao-
Akala , 184,111.
APC’s candidate in Lagos,
Akinwunmi Ambode, polled 811,994
votes to defeat PDP’s Jimi
Agbaje,who scored 659,788 votes.
Agbaje accepted defeat and
congratulated Ambode but the
state PDP rejected the result,
citing ‘controversial’
circumstances within which the
elections were conducted in the
state as reasons.
The media aide of the governor-
elect, Idowu Ajanaku, told one of
our correspondents on the
telephone that Agbaje called to
congratulate Ambode at 6.50pm on
Sunday.
“Mr. Jimi Agbaje called at exactly
6.50pm to congratulate Mr. Ambode.
He prayed for Mr. Ambode and told
him that he was looking forward to
a more prosperous Lagos, ” Ajanaku
said.
Shortly after being declared
winner, Ambode in his acceptance
speech, extended his hand of
fellowship to Agbaje by urging him
to join in making Lagos a better
place.
The governor-elect, who
commended Agbaje for
congratulating him , added that his
government would not victimise
those who voted against him.
He said, “To my main opponent, Mr.
Jimi Agbaje of the PDP, I thank you
for a keen contest and invite you,
alongside other governorship
candidates, to join hands with me
in moving Lagos forward.”
Ambode also lauded the people of
the state for voting him and the
APC, adding that by aligning Lagos
with the centre, unprecedented
development would come to the
state.
He gave special thanks to a former
Governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju
Bola Tinubu and Governor
Babatunde Fashola for believing in
him.
Ambode said like former United
States President, Abraham Lincoln,
his government would be run “with
malice toward none and with
charity for all.”
The Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal
(Sokoto); a former Speaker of the
House, Aminu Masari (Katsina); and
erstwhile Minister of the Federal
Capital Territory, Nasir el-Rufai
(Kaduna) also emerged victorious.
El-Rufai floored Governor Mukhtar
Yero of the PDP.
The other APC governorship
election winners are Governor
Abdulfatai Ahmed (Kwara),
Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Atiku
Bagudu (Kebbi), Mohammed
Abubakar (Bauchi), Ibrahim Geidam
(Yobe) and Jibrilla Bindow
(Adamawa).
Bindow handed Mallam Nuhu
Ribadu, a former Chairman of the
Economic and Financial Crimes
Commission a shocking defeat.
Ribadu conceded defeat when
results from most of the LGAs
showed that he was trailing behind
in results from the LGAs.
Ganduje, who is the current deputy
governor of Kano State polled
1,546,434 votes. His PDP rival, Salihu
Tokai had 509,726 votes.
The governorship candidate of the
APC in Benue State, Samuel Ortom,
raced to victory by polling 387,753
votes as against PDP’s Terhemen
Tarzoor, who scored 296,189 votes.
Geidam polled 334, 847 votes to
defeat Adamu Waziri of the
PDP,who had 179, 700 votes.
PDP’s candidates Udom
Emmanuel, Ibrahim Dankwambo,
Dave Umahi, and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi
triumphed in Akwa Ibom, Gombe,
Ebonyi and Enugu states
respectively.
Umahi garnered 289, 867 votes as
against Labour Party’s Edward
Nkwegu,who came second with
124, 817 votes.
Ugwuanyi polled 482,227 votes to
defeat Okey Ezea of the APC, who
got 43,839 votes.
Results from 16 out of 18 LGAs in
Cross River State showed that the
PDP candidate, Ben Ayade, was
leading clearly.
From the results announced as of
11pm on Sunday, Ayade secured
283, 549 votes, while the APC
candidate, Odey Ochicha and his
Labour Party counterpart, Fidelis
Ugbo, polled 52, 562 and 35, 848
respectively.
Imo State Governor and APC
candidate, Rochas Okorocha, was
clearly winning in 20 out of 27 LGAs
in the state as of 8pm on Sunday
.His PDP counterpart and Deputy
Speaker of the House of
Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha,
was trailing behind.
INEC later declared the
announcement of the results
inconclusive.
The results of the election in Abia
ended in a deadlock midway
following the reversal of the
cancellation of three council
results by the Returning Officer,
Prof. Benjamin Ozumba.
Ozumba had announced the
cancellation of results from
Osisioma, Obingwa and Isialangwa
North Local Government Areas on
the grounds of “incontrovertible
evidence of violence’’ and reports
from international observers.
The returning officer reversed the
decision after Governor Theodore
Orji-led chieftains of the PDP
consulted with the Resident
Electoral Officer, Prof. Selina Oko
and Ozumba.
The governor was in company
with the Minister of State for
Defence, Col. Austin Akobundu
(retd); the PDP National Publicity
Secretary, Olisa Metuh and Chief
Onyema Ugochukwu .
Ozumba said the cancellation was
reversed due to fresh information
concerning the conduct of the
election in the three councils.
He said that polling centres with
issues would be isolated and
decisions taken on them later.
The pronouncement heightened
tension at the centre, leading to
the adjournment of further
announcement of results.
The controversial result from
Osisioma, which had earlier been
announced, showed that PDP
scored 42,442 while APGA polled 1,
017.
Meanwhile, results from 10 LGAs
have so far been announced.
In his reaction, All Progressives
Grand Alliance governorship
candidate, Alex Otti, described the
governor’s appearance at the
collation centre as ‘‘an abuse of
power, designed to intimidate and
exert undue influence on the
electoral officials.’’
The PDP lost its grip also on Plateau
State as its candidate, GNS Pwajok
was defeated by APC’s Simon
Lalong.
As of last night Lalong scored
537,050 votes while Pwajok had
501,938 votes.
Results from 16 out of 18 LGAs in
Cross River State showed that the
PDP candidate, Ben Ayade, was
leading comfortably.
From the results announced by
INEC, on Sunday, Ayade secured 283,
549 votes, while the APC
candidate, Odey Ochicha and his
Labour Party counterpart, Fidelis
Ugbo, polled 52, 562 and 35, 848
respectively.
In Gombe State, Governor Ibrahim
Geidam of the PDP had an easy ride
as he coasted to victory by beating
his APC counterpart, Inuwa Yahaya.
He scored 285,369 votes while
Yahaya had 205, 132 votes.
Also in Delta State, INEC adjourned
further action on the results till
7am on Monday. Before then, PDP’s
Ifeanyi Okowa was leading in 20 out
of the 24 LGAs in the state.
There were earlier reports on
Sunday that the APC had made
history by producing the first
elected female governor in Nigeria
in the person of Jummai Aisha
Alhassan of Taraba State. But as 12
midnight her reported victory had
yet to be confirmed.