INEC on Monday declared the governorship election in Kebbi as “inconclusive.” The election was keenly contested by APC and PDP.
The collation and returning officer of the election, Yusuf Sa’idu, of the Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, made the announcement at the collation centre situated at INEC headquarters in Birnin Kebbi.
He said there were cancellations in 20 of the 21 council areas of Kebbi, cutting across several registration areas in different polling units.
We aggregated the total number of collected PVCs in those polling units, and it came to a total of 91,829. And when we checked the results, the two leading political parties in this contest, APC and PDP, polled 388,258 and 342,980 votes, respectively. When we looked at the difference, it stands at 45,278,” said Mr Sa’idu.
The returning officer noted that they had no option but to refer to the electoral laws on page 31 of the Electoral Act 2022, section 51 sub-sections two and three for guidance.
The Electoral Act said, “Where the number of votes cast in an election in any polling unit exceeds the number of accredited voters in that polling unit, the presiding officer shall cancel the result of the election in that polling unit. Sub-section three of section 51 also states that where the result of an election is cancelled in accordance with sub-section two, there shall be no return for the election until another poll has taken place in the affected polling unit.”
Following the electoral act, the INEC returning officer in Kebbi declared, “By virtue of these provisions and the powers vested in me as the collation and returning officer of the 2023 gubernatorial election in Kebbi state, I, Prof Yusuf Sa’idu of the Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, hereby declare the gubernatorial election in Kebbi State inconclusive.”
(NAN)