By Kola Adeyemi, Ismaila Chafe
Lokoja, Abuja Nov. 16, 2019
Gov. Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has been declared winner of the governorship election held in Kogi State on Nov. 16.
The Returning Officer of the election, Prof. Ibrahim Garba, who announced the results in Lokoja on Monday said that Bello polled 406,222 votes to beat 24 other contestants, including Mr Musa Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who polled 189,704 votes.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi State on his re-election in the Nov. 16 gubernatorial poll.
The President, in a statement by his spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, in Abuja on Monday, described the election and emergence of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate as “a race well run and a victory well won.”
Prof. Garba announced that Mrs. Natasha Akpoti, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party came third by scoring 9,482 votes, Mrs. Justina Abanida of the African Democratic Party scored 706 votes to come fourth while the candidate of PDF came fifth with 624 votes.
Garba said that Bello, having scored the majority of votes and other constitutional requirements is declared the winner.
He said that 636,202 out of the 1,636,350 registered voters in the state were accredited for the election out of which 624,514 eventually voted.
Garba gave total valid votes cast during the election as 610, 744, number of rejected votes was 13,770 while cancelled votes were 149,576 votes.
President Buhari, in his congratulatory message, also commended APC supporters for remaining steadfast and resolute even in the “face of isolated incidents of violence.”
President Buhari condoled with families and loved ones of those who lost their lives as a result of regrettable acts of violence by thugs doing the bidding of their political sponsors.
“All political actors and stakeholders must take deliberate steps to eschew electoral violence as a peaceful and orderly process is vital to our quest for enduring democracy,’’ he said.
He saluted officials of the INEC and security agencies for creditably discharging their responsibilities under difficult conditions.
President Buhari urged Bello to see his renewed mandate as another opportunity to build on the foundations already laid towards improving the lives of the people of Kogi.
He also enjoined the governor to imbibe the spirit of magnanimity in victory by extending a hand of partnership to opposition candidates.
The president urged those dissatisfied with the outcome of the election to approach the courts.
