Elections: INEC declares Bauchi, Sokoto, Adamawa, Plateau governorship polls inconclusive
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has declared the governorship election held in Plateau, Adamawa, Sokoto and Bauchi states inconclusive because the number of votes cancelled or where voting did not hold surpassed the margin between the winner and the candidate in second place.
Rerun elections are expected to be conducted in the affected areas to determine the winner of the polls within 21 days as stipulated in the agency’s guidelines.
In Bauchi, challenger and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Senator Balla Mohammed polled 469, 512 votes while incumbent governor, Mohammed Abubakar, polled 465, 453. The number of cancelled votes was 45, 312 and also elections did not hold in Tafawa Balewa LGA. The total number of registered voters in the affected area was put at 139, 240.
INEC had announced results in 19 out of 20 LGAs in the state that President Buhari of the APC won easily.
In Sokoto, incumbent governor, Aminu Tambuwal of the PDP polled 489, 558 votes, while Ahmed Aliyu of the APC polled 486, 145 votes, where as there were cancellations in 136 polling units with a total number of 75, 403 registered voters.
In Adamawa, incumbent governor, Jibrilla Bindow of the APC polled 334, 995 votes while Ahmadu Fintiri of the PDP polled 376, 471 votes. The number of registered voters in areas where voting was cancelled or did not hold is 40, 988.
Incumbent governor, Solomon Lalong of the APC in Plateau State polled 583, 255 while Jeremiah Useni of the PDP got 538, 326 votes. Total number of votes cancelled was 49, 377 more than the 44, 929 votes difference between the candidates.
Earlier, INEC had halted the electoral process in Rivers State citing widespread disruption of the governorship and state assembly elections conducted on March 9, 2019 due to violence and hostage of electoral officers and materials by unauthorised persons.
