By Dahiru Samaila Mafara
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has declared Kaura-Namoda South House of Assembly bye-election as Inconclusive.
Making the declaration at the end of the bye-election, Returning Officer for the election, Professor Lawal Saad of the Federal University Gusau, said the margin between the leading All Progressive Congress, APC, with a total of 7001 votes and seconded by the People’s Democratic Party, PDP with 5339 votes is 1662 votes which is less than the total number of PVC collected in the areas where election was cancelled.
According to him, five polling units were affected by cancellations, Two at Sakajiki Ward with code 05 and three at Kyambarawa Ward with code 06.
He said the said wards had a total number of 5,446 and 3,265 total number of registered PVCs collected.
According to Professor Lawal Saad, in such circumstance, section 24(3&4) and section 47(3) and 51(2) of the Electoral act 2022 has granted the Returning Officer the power to declare election inconclusive until polls are conducted in the affected polling units where elections were cancelled or not conducted.
The Returning Officér, confirmed that the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Kamilu Saidu had scored 7001 votes, while his opponent Muhammad Lawali Kurya of the PDP, scored a total of 5339 votes.
DFKnews reports that the election was conducted under tight security arrangements.
However, the date for the re-run election in the affected areas is yet to be announced by the electoral umpire, INEC.
