BREAKING: INEC declares APC’s Ahmed Ododo as winner of Kogi guber election

Prof Johnson Urama, the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics) of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, announced Ododo as the winner at 10:23 p.m. on Sunday.

“Ahmed Usman Ododo of APC, having satisfied the requirement of the law is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected,” Urama declared in a room crowded with party agents and election observers.

Ododo received 446,237 votes, defeating Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who received 259,052 votes, and Dino Melaye of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who received 46,362 votes.

The results from the state’s 21 local government areas (LGAs) were compiled late Sunday, with the APC candidate winning over half of the LGAs.

Ododo, a former Auditor General of Local Government in Kogi under Governor Yahaya Bello, was the governor’s choice to end his eight-year double term.

On Saturday, Melaye and some civil rights groups raised the alarm over “filled result sheets” in the North Central state’s Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area. The PDP candidate also demanded that the election be thrown off due to violence and vote buying. Following that, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) suspended voting in nine wards in the local government area.

INEC said late Sunday that new elections will be held on November 18, 2023, in 59 voting units in the state’s Ogori/Magongo Local Government Area.

INEC, on the other hand, added a caveat to the polls being held in the 59 polling units, stating that “the decision to hold fresh elections is subject to the Returning Officer’s determination of the application of the Margin of Lead Principle.”

Urama stated late Sunday that the total number of Permanent Voter Cards in the affected polling units was 16,247, which was small in comparison to the over 200,000 votes garnered by the APC candidate ahead of his nearest challenger – Ajaka.

The margin of victory suggested that the elections scheduled by INEC for next Saturday in the 59 voting units would not take place.

Both Ajaka and Melaye have disputed the election results, expressing dissatisfaction with INEC and security forces they allege of colluding with the ruling APC in Kogi.