THE All Progressives Congress, APC, swept Lagos, Oyo and Ondo and was leading in Yobe as results of the re-run and bye-elections to fill 57 legislative vacancies across 26 states in the country, trickled in, yesterday.

However, the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, won the Yenagoa Constituency II re-run election in Bayelsa State.

The polls were marred by apathy, irregularities and violence in some areas.

Although the elections were peaceful and witnessed impressive voter turnout in some states, allegations of missing election materials, invasion by thugs, attacks on electoral officers, and pre-filled election result sheets were rife.

The hitches forced the Independent National Electoral Commission. INEC, to suspend elections in 20 polling units in three states.

Indeed, the security agencies arrested many thugs who tried to disrupt polling in Plateau, Kano and other states.

In Akwa Ibom, the late commencement of voting and hijacking of election materials by hoodlums marred the exercise. The polls were held in 33 polling units in Ini/Ikono Federal Constituency, and 20 polling units in Ibiono Ibom State Constituency.

In Ebonyi, APC and PDP disagreed over the credibility of the exercise. While the PDP alleged massive vote-buying and ballot-snatching during the Ebonyi South bye-election, APC thumped up the process, saying it was free and fair.

This was as attacks by bandits, and crop-looting overshadowed balloting in Katsina State.

How APC candidates won in Lagos, Oyo, Ondo, lead in Yobe

The APC won the Surulere Federal Constituency I (Lagos), Saki West State Constituency (Oyo), and Akoko North East/North West Federal Constituency (Ondo) seats.

In Lagos, INEC declared Mr. Fuad Laguda of the APC as the winner of Surulere Federal Constituency I bye-election held in six wards.

The Returning officer of the election, Prof. Ladipo Adebayo of the University of Lagos, said Laguda scored 11, 203 votes to defeat Mr. Jerry Afemighie of the PDP, who polled 278 votes.

Labour Party candidate, Adeola Adebanjo, got 240 votes.

Total votes cast was 11, 900 while 138 ballots were rejected.

In Oyo, Mr Shittu Ibrahim of the APC won the Saki West State Constituency poll after polling 13,850 votes to narrowly beat Mr. Julius Okedoyin of the PDP, who got 13,670 votes.

In Ondo, Ife Ehindero of the APC scored 35,504 votes to claim the Akoko North East/North West Federal Constituency seat. His PDP challenger, Olalekan Bada, polled 15,328 votes.

For the Yobe East Senatorial bye-election, Mr. Musa Mustapha of the APC was leading his main challenger, Mallam Ajiko in results released as of press time by INEC.

APGA’s Waikumo wins Yenagoa Constituency II rerun

However, Mr Amakoromo Waikumo of the APGA emerged as the winner of the Yenagoa Constituency II re-run election.

He polled 5959 votes to narrowly beat his closest rival, Mrs Ebiuwou Koku-Obiyai of the PDP who garnered 5263 votes.

Declaring the result, at INEC collation centre, Okolobiri, the Returning Officer, Prof Chris Onyema, Deputy Vice Chancellor of the Federal University, Otuoke, said, APGA candidate scored the highest number of votes and was declared winner of the rerun poll for Yenagoa Constituency II.

It would be recalled that before ordered rerun in seven units of the constituency by the Court of Appeal the APGA candidate had 4,971 votes while PDP got 4593 during the March last year State House of Assembly election.

The votes scored by the candidates at the just concluded rerun poll were added to what they scored during last year’s election with APGA again emerging victorious

NYSC member, two other INEC ad-hoc staff held hostage

In Plateau, voters at the 052 Polling Unit, Rock Haven, Utan, Satellite market, Agwan Mata, Agaldama and others held one National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, member, Juliet Nyanga, and two ad-hoc staff hostage over the alleged refusal of INEC officials to give them sensitive materials.

The corps member said: “When I came here in the morning, I observed that the ballot papers were not complete. I was given 1,728 ballot papers for the Senate, which is complete but there was none for the House of Representatives. I complained to my SPO and I was told to wait which I did. After some time, I went back to complain and called the attention of other officials but nothing was done.

“I was not the only one in the situation but I am speaking for myself. After some time, I was given 100 pieces of the House of Representatives and told to go and start the process, that the rest would be brought. When I resumed here, I informed the people but they insisted that they would not vote.”

An INEC ad hoc staff member, Stephine Oche, said they were shouted down at the INEC office by their supervisor when they raised the issue of incomplete sensitive materials. (Excerpted from a Sunday Vanguard report)

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