Buhari Sets To Unseat Jonathan as more results emerge
The stage seems set for a change of leadership in the nation’s polity with results of the weekend’s presidential polls indicating that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen Muhammadu Buhari (retd), is in comfortable lead in three of the country’s six geo-political zones.
The stage seems set for a change of leadership in the nation’s polity with results of the weekend’s presidential polls indicating that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Gen Muhammadu Buhari (retd), is in comfortable lead in three of the country’s six geo-political zones.
The zones include the two largest ones – North West and South West.
Buhari also polled more votes than his arch-rival and candidate of the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), President Goodluck Jonathan, in North
East zone.`The incumbent president clinched the South South and the
South East. Both candidates have shared the spoils in in North Central
zone with Buhari winning in Kogi, Kwara and Niger states while Jonathan
cornered Nasarawa, Plateau and Benue.
Our correspondents reported that from results trickling in from the
collation centres, the former military head of state has emerged the
preferred choice of the people in the presidential poll. “There is no
doubt the race has been won and lost and that Gen Buhari has won,” a
source at the INEC office confided in LEADERSHIP. “Clearly, it is three
zones to two; and after winning North West which has Kano and South West
with Lagos, the two most populated states and zones, nothing can stop
him.”
Jonathan lost vital polling units, including the one at the seat of
power where he resides, Aso Villa, Abuja. Many of his cabinet members,
including the minister of education, Ibrahim Shekarau; his Federal
Capital Territory (FCT) counterpart, Bala Mohammed, and the minister of
state (II) for foreign affairs, Musliu Obanikoro posted dismal results
in their home units. Many other high-profile politicians lost their
polling units to opposition parties.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is yet to announce
the result of the presidential election, but the director of media, PDP
Presidential Campaign Organisation (PDPPCO), Mr Femi Fani-Kayode,
claimed, in a press statement yesterday, that Jonathan had won in 23
states and APC in 14. Nigeria has 36 states. APC spokesman, Alhaji Lai
Mohammed, however, raise the alarm that President Jonathan and his
cronies were working round the clock to manipulate the people’s mandate
by unlawfully coveting majority votes or rendering the elections
inconclusive.
When asked, INEC chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, faulted Fani-Kayode’s
claim that the PDP was leading in 23 states, or 64 percent, in the
presidential poll. He said that the only results received were from two
states, Ekiti and Ogun. He also declared that the commission was not
under any pressure to declare the outcome of the presidential election
inconclusive, while expressing worry at the crisis in River State,
stating that the commission was investigating it and would take a
position soon.
APC wins 7 LGs in Kano
According reports from Kano State, Buhari was leading with a wide margin
in seven local government areas (LGAs) of the state. Also, all the APC
candidates for seats in the House of Representatives and Senate were
leading in the said LGAs. The local councils so far announced were
Bunkure, Makoda, Tsanyawa, Bagwai, Albasu, Kibiya and Kura LGAs
respectively.
Spokesman of INEC, Kano office, announced the following:”Kibiya- APC
23,000 votes, PDP 4,999 votes; Gabasawa – APC 31,000 votes, PDP 8, 840
votes. Bagwai – APC 38 , 750 votes, PDP 8,159 votes; Kunchi – APC 24,542
votes, PDP 2,921 votes; Tsanyawa – APC 32,662 votes, PDP 4,819 votes,
and Gaya -APC 38,085 votes, PDP 1, 888 votes.”
LEADERSHIP discovered that returning officers were retiring back to INEC office in the state with the results by press time.
Buhari sweeps Kaduna votes as Sambo loses own ward to APC
Reports from Kaduna State yesterday also indicated that Buhari was
leading in most of the results collated from the various polling units
across the 23 LGAs of the state. Vice President Namadi Sambo, who had
won in his new polling unit, however, lost again to the APC by a wide
margin in his Kabala ward 05 in Kaduna North LGA.
Dr Husseini Momo Lawal of the Ahmadu Belo University, Zaria, who served
as collation and returning officer in the vice president’s ward,
announced that APC won the presidential election with 10,760 votes to
PDP’s 1,760 votes. Results collated from Shiba Ward 1 in Kaduna North
LGA also indicated that the APC led with 3,871 votes while the PDP
followed with 1,827 votes.
The presidential result coming from Ikara LGA showed that APC led with
49,146 while the PDP got 7,170 votes, and in Kubau LGA, the APC led with
63,875 votes while PDP got 6,377 votes in the presidential election.
The vice-president had changed his polling unit PU-011 on Swimming Pool
road, near Police College, to avoid a repeat of the 2011 embarrassment
after he lost his then polling unit. Our correspondent gathered while
incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan got block votes from Southern
Kaduna senatorial district, his arch-rival of the APC, Gen Buhari, was
cruising home with block votes from Kaduna Central and Kaduna North
senatorial districts. Buhari, according checks by our correspondent, was
likely to win with about 60 percent of the votes.
Buhari cruising towards a landslide victory in Borno – SSG
In Borno State, the secretary to the state government, Ambassador Baba
Ahmed Jiddah, said that given the result of the presidential polls
collated so far in 16 LGAs, the APC flag bearer, General Buhari, would
emerge victorious with a landslide. Ambassador Jidda, who is also
Buhari’s agent, said his principal was leading with a margin of about 95
percent in the results announced for the 16 LGAs so far submitted at
the INEC collation centre.
“The APC is cruising to landslide victory; as you can see, we have done
better that we thought,” said the SSG. “It is obvious that our opponents
are struggling to score 25 percent, but from the look of things, at the
end of the day, they may not be able to get more than 10 percent.“Today
we have so far collated results from 16 local governments and from what
we have, the APC has approximately 95 percent, while the PDP has
slightly over five percent. The turnout is not that very good, but it
should be expected given the circumstance we found ourselves. When more
results are brought in tomorrow, it may improve the figures we have.
However, the good thing is that people are happy they have participated
in this election.
“The INEC and the security agencies have really done very well, and we
believe, by the time we conclude this exercise tomorrow, everybody will
happier for it.”According to the SSG, the collation of results for the
presidential polls was suspended at about 6:30pm yesterday for all
parties to reconvene again at 9am today (Monday) when more results from
remote local government areas would be brought in.
Kabiru Turaki, Bello Haliru lose wards to APC in Kebbi
Results emanating from Kebbi State revealed that President Jonathan’s
henchmen failed to deliver their wards for the president and the PDP.
Former defence minister, Dr Bello Haliru, a onetime PDP chairman, failed
to deliver his ward as results obtained from his Magajin Rafi polling
unit indicated a landslide victory for the opposition APC.
The current minister of special duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), also
failed to deliver his ward as the APC carpeted the PDP at Sarkin
Zabarmawa polling unit. Reports also said voters booed and threw pebbles
at the minister before security operatives whisked him away. The PDP
national treasurer, Alhaji Buhari Bala, also failed to deliver his
polling unit at Hassan Organiser polling unit.
Samaila Haliru Dankasa, who is the coordinator of TAN (Transformation
Ambassadors of Nigeria, the top campaign team for President Jonatahn
re-election bid) in Kebbi State, could not also win his ward for the
PDP. He failed to deliver his Garkar Sarkin Zabarmawa polling unit
Reports gathered by LEADRSHIP indicated Jonathan might not secure 25 per cent of the votes in Kebbi.
Jonathan favoured in Benue
Reports from Benue State indicated that Jonathan was in the lead in five local governments areas so far collated.
The INEC resident electoral officer (REC) in the state, Mr Istafanus
Dafwang, who received the results from collation officers at Makurdi,
revealed that they were from the Benue South senatorial district. The
results in Benue North East and Benue North West senatorial districts
were yet to be collated.
The already announced LGAs include Ado, Okpokwu, Ohimini, Agatu and
Ogbadibo respectively. The results indicated that in Ado, Jonathan
polled 7,382 to Buhari’s 2,328 votes. In Okpokwu LGA, Jonathan scored
12,103 votes, while Buhari got 4,757, and in Ohimini, the president led
with 5,909 against Buhari’s 4,734.
Jonathan also defeated Buhari in Agatu, home of the PDP deputy
governorship candidate in Benue, John Ngbede, with a wide margin of
9,555 votes against 3,627. In Ogbadibo, it was a slim win for the
president as he got 6,937 votes to main rival’s 6,257 votes. Meanwhile,
the APC in the state has accused the ruling PDP of trying to manipulate
the results of presidential and National Assembly elections in the three
senatorial districts of the state.
The media director of Ortom/Abounu governorship campaign organization,
Mr Tahav Agerzua, who made this allegation in a statement made available
to LEADERSHIP, said, “Especially in the Benue North senatorial District
where APC has won obviously, the PDP is trying to manipulate it.”
David Umar set to beat Gov Aliyu for Niger East senatorial seat
In Niger State, PDP’s candidate, Governor Muazu Babangida Aliyu, was
yesterday losing the Niger East Senatorial District to Barrister David
Umar of the APC, who was leading with a wide margin in six local
governments of the nine in the senatorial district so far released.
Umaru, whose victory in Niger East by-election held in August last year
was recently upheld by an appeal court in Abuja, led the outgoing state
governor in the six local governments that their results had been so far
been released.
The results released by INEC returning officers at the collation centre
at the College of Education, Minna, yesterday night showed that in
Chanchaga LGA, Umaru scored 49,219 votes to Governor Aliyu’s 17,209
votes, thereby beating Aliyu in his own local government area.
Also in Gurara LGA, Umaru scored 18,887 votes to Aliyu’s 6,520 votes. In
Shiroro LGA, the APC candidate got 27,191 while the governor got 7,519
votes. Similarly in Tafa LGA, APC garnered 17,598 to PDP’s 8,151 votes,
while in Bosso LGA, Umaru scored 36,250 and Aliyu 7,060 votes.
The result from Munya LGA also indicated that Umaru had 13,666 while
Aliyu got 6,635. In total, in the six LGAs so far announced, David Umaru
polled 163,111 votes to Governor Aliyu’s 53,094 votes. The results from
Rafi, Paikoro and Suleja LGAs were being awaited as polling continued
in those places yesterday.
Buhari wins Ogun
LEADERSHIP can authoritatively report that Buhari has been declared
winner of the presidential election in Ogun State with a wide margin.
Buhari garnered 308, 290 votes to beat President Jonathan who had
207,950 votes. Announcing the results, the State Collation Officer (SCO)
for the presidential election in Ogun, Professor Duro Oni, said the APC
presidential candidate won in 13 local governments while the PDP won in
seven.
The local government areas won by Buhari were Ewekoro, Obafemi-Owode,
Ijebu-Ode, Odeda, Ijebu North East, Odogbolu, Abeokuta North, Abeokuta
South, Ado-Odo/Ota, Egbado South, Ifo and Egbado. PDP, however, won in
the seven council areas of Remo North, Imeko- fon, Sagamu, Ogun
Waterside, Ijebu East, Ijebu North and Ikene.
The total number of votes cast in Ogun State was 559, 613 out of which
26, 441 were voided, while a total valid votes cast was 533, 172.
Results from Osun State also put Buhari in the lead.
Buhari leads Jonathan In Sokoto
As collation of votes began in Sokoto State at about 8pm yesterday night
at the Sultan Muhammadu Macccido Institute for Qu’ranic and General
Studies, available results at the time of filing this report put Buhari
far ahead of President Jonathan. Though, most of the results were still
being expected, LEADERSHIP can authoritatively report that should the
voting tempo continue, the APC candidate would floor his main opponent.
The results available at about 21:35pm from two out of the 23 local
governments in the state showed a wide far margin between the two
candidates. Of the total 38, 589 valid votes cast in Denge Shuni LGA of
the state, Buhari polled 31,036 while Jonathan got only 6, 918. The same
scenario played out in Kware LGA as the APC candidate polled 25, 286
out of the 33, 008 valid votes, to the PDP’s 5, 339 votes.
In Goronyo LGA, Buhari polled 28, 950 votes to Jonathan’s 7,664 votes.
More results were being awaited at the time of filing this report.
Buhari Sets To Unseat Jonathan as more results emerge
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Oleh
healthandwealth