Sanwo-Olu, Makinde, Abiodun, AbdulRazaq, Buni, others win

Sanwo-Olu, Makinde, Abiodun, AbdulRazaq, Buni, others win

APC wins Katsina, Gombe, set for victory in Borno, Benue as PDP takes A’Ibom

•Kwankwaso, Ganduje’s men in tight race, Rhodes-Vivour rejects Lagos results

•Oyo, Lagos Speakers re-elected, APC takes 22 Ondo seats, PDP, 25 in Osun

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Sunday declared Governors Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Muhammadu Yahaya (Gombe), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe) and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara) the winners of Saturday’s governorship election.

Also, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate in Akwa Ibom State, Pastor Umo Eno; Dr Dikko Radda of the Katsina State All Progressives Congress and his counterpart in Jigawa State, Namadi Dammodi, emerged as the governors-elect.

The APC candidate in the Sokoto State governorship election, Ahmad Sokoto, similarly emerged as the governor-elect in the state, while Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum was set for victory having won the 22 local government areas declared so far in the state on Sunday.

There were also strong indications that the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, would be re-elected as he emerged victorious in 14 out of the 19 LGAs results declared as of 10.21 pm on Sunday, while his closest rival, Sadique Abubakar of the APC won five local government areas.

Similarly, the APC candidate in Benue, Rev Fr. Hyacinth Alia, is currently leading his opponents in the results so far declared by the electoral commission.

Makinde of the PDP was declared the winner of the governorship poll in Oyo State after scoring 563,756 votes to beat his closest rival, Teslim Folarin of the All Progressive Congress scored 256,685 votes.

Adebayo Adelabu of the Accord Party scored 38,357 votes. Makinde, in an interview with newsmen, shortly after he won re-election said he was overwhelmed by the show of love showered on him by the people of the state.

A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Taiwo Adisa, said the governor was joined by his wife, Tamunominimin and flanked by family members, friends and associates while celebrating the victory at his residence located in the Ikolaba area of Ibadan.

He thanked the good people of the state for the the confidence reposed in his administration and his ability to lead them.

Makinde speaks Makinde said, “The incoming administration which is tagged Omituntun 2.0, is a film that will be a lot better, sweeter and more effective when compared to Omituntun 1.0.

“Right now, I am just overwhelmed. I want to thank the good people of the state for the confidence they have reposed in this administration and my ability to lead them.”

Governor Abiodun secured a second term in office after polling 276,298 votes to defeat his PDP opponent, Oladipupo Adebutu, who scored 262,383 votes and 12 other candidates.

The returning officer of the governorship election in Ogun State, Prof. Kayode Adebowale declared Abiodun at the collation centre of the commission in the state.

According to him, the total number of registered voters 2,688,305, while accredited voters were 666,406.

Adebowale said a total of 645,133 votes were valid while 18,835 votes were rejected out of the 663,968 total votes cast.

Sanwo-Olu was re-elected as he has polled the highest number of votes in the governorship election held on Saturday. The results were announced on Sunday at INEC’s collation centre in Yaba, Lagos.

The governor  was declared winner with 762,134 votes while his closest rival, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party, polled 312,329 votes. The candidate of the PDP, Olajide Adediran, came third with 62,449 votes.

Sanwo-Olu re-elected

Sanwo-Olu won in 19 LGAs, while Rhodes-Vivour emerged victorious in Amuwo Odofin LGA, as announced by the Returning Officer, Adenike Oladiji, who is the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State.

Earlier, Oladiji said, “This place is a collation centre and what that then means is that we will be collating results as they have come from the different LGAs from the polling units.

“What that means is we do not generate results and that means we are given to influence anything here. We only collate what comes to us and to ensure that we do it correctly, what we do is to test the correctness of values as the results are announced.”

So far, the total number of votes cast was 1,123,302, and the number of rejected votes was 16,798, and the total number of valid votes was 1,107,248

In his address, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Olusegun Agbaje, urged citizens not to see an election as a the do-or-die affair, adding that he received a number of threats during the election.

He said, “It is very strange that at this time in Nigeria, we still see elections as a do-or-die affair but elections should not be seen as do-or-die affairs.

“Our role is to midwife elections and we expect politicians to collaborate with us to do a good job. The issue of snatching ballot boxes is not good at all. Even if it is happening, it shouldn’t happen in Lagos.”