APC floors PDP in gubernatorial and state legislative elections

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has recorded an overwhelming performance in the April 11, 2015 Governorship and House of Assembly elections, retaining all of its states and taking over a few others from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in results released so far.

As a result, intense anxiety on the part of some governors who sought re-election for a second term at last Saturday’s gubernatorial and state legislative polls ended yesterday as they were declared winners by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

All of them emerged on the platforms of APC and PDP. They included Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo State, APC), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun, APC), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara, APC) and Ibrahim Dankwambo (Gombe, PDP).

However, Muktar Ramalan Yero (Kaduna, PDP), lost his second tenure bid to El-Rufai (APC). Some other new players who appeared on the block included Udom Emmanuel (Akwa Ibom, PDP), Abdullahi Umar Ganduje (Kano, APC) and Senator Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi, APC).

Except for the PDP’s victory in Gombe, the APC maintains a strong hold on northern territories, clearing its own states (Kano, Borno, Yobe and others), and snatching Katsina, Kaduna and Jigawa from the PDP.

Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal and Mallam Nasir El-Rufai led the APC to victory in Sokoto and Kaduna.

Exit polls from Delta and Rivers states showed that PDP candidates Ifeanyi Okowa and Nyesom Wike were leading.

The Returning Officer for Lagos State, Prof. Isaac Adewole yesterday declared the governorship candidate of the APC, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode winner, scoring 811,994 votes against Dr. Jimi Agbaje, his PDP rival. Ambode won 25 per cent of all the votes cast in all the 20 local council areas; same as Agbaje.

Amosun led in 11 local government areas with about 306,988 votes, while Prince Gboyega Nasir Isiaka (PDP), his closest rival, scored 201,440.

Amosun won in Ewekoro, Remo North, Odeda, Shagamu, Abeokuta North, Abeokuta South, Obafemi Owode, Ikenne, Ifo, Ado-odo Ota, and Ogun Water side.

Isiaka led in Ijebu Ode, Ijebu North East, Imeko-Afon, Odogbolu, Egbado South, Ipokia, Ijebu North, Ijebu East and Egbado North councils.

About 16 political parties contested the elections said to be the keenest ever since the creation of the state 39 years ago.

The PDP, on the other hand, kept its South East and South South states, winning Enugu, Ebonyi, Akwa Ibom and Cross River, convincingly.

INEC has declared the governorship polls in Imo State, inconclusive.

The Collation Officer in the state, Prof. Ibidapo Obe, who made the declaration at the INEC office about 11.30 p.m. on Sunday, said the difference between the highest scorer (APC candidate, Governor Rochas Okorocha) and PDP’s Chief Emeka Ihedioha, was 79,979 in the declared booths in the 27 local councils.

Okorocha had the highest number of votes in 20 out of 27 local councils while Ihedioha won seven councils.

He regretted violence in some booths in some councils leading to cancellation of many booths in many councils.

No date was fixed for rerun polls to conclude the process.

The PDP, APGA and other parties had rejected the outcome, calling for cancellation of the entire exercise.

However, another report said Ibidapo Obe declared the results of the guber election inconclusive following detected electoral malpractices in 24 council areas.

After counting and collation, summary of final result in Imo governorship election is as follows:
 APC (385,671
), PDP (306,142
). Margin of win: 79,529; cancelled votes: 144,715. 
Verdict: Election is inconclusive.

In Cross River State, Ben Ayade (PDP) polled 342,016 ballots, APC got 53,983 votes and Labour Party (LP) 36,918.

In 11 out of the 25 councils released so far, Okowa won 10 except for Udu, which he lost to Chief Great Ogboru of LP.

The PDP candidate’s victory cuts across the three senatorial districts of Delta North where he hails from, Delta South of his running mate (Mr. Kinsgley Otuaro) and Delta Central where Ogboru and APC’s Olorogun Otega Emerhor are from.

Wike has so far polled a total of 737,158 votes compared to the 77,410 by his closest rival, Dakuku Peterside of the APC. Wike is leading in 19 councils, while Peterside leads in two.

PDP won in Port Harcourt City Local Government Area where it polled 82,289 to APC’s 24,367.

PDP also won in Governor Chibuike Amaechi’s Ikwerre Local Government Area with 23,511 to defeat the APC, which had 10,555.

In Okrika, PDP (47,891), APC (1,631); Etche-PDP (33,954), APC (6,488); Degema-PDP (31,103), APC (1,244).

In Ekiti and Ondo states, which were not part of the general elections (because they have different electoral timetable), the PDP cleared all, if not many, of the state houses of assembly seats.

The PDP-governed Bayelsa and APC’s Edo also have different electoral timetable but have their state house of assembly seats going to the governing parties.