INEC declares Kebbi governorship election inconclusive

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the governorship election in Kebbi State as “inconclusive”.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the election was keenly contested by the two giant political parties, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The collation and returning officer of the election, Yusuf Sa’idu, a professor at the Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, announced the position at the collation centre situated at INEC headquarters in Birnin Kebbi, on Monday.

He said there were cancellations of results in different polling units across Registration Areas (RAs) in 20 of the 21 local government areas of Kebbi State.

Mr Sa’idu said: “We aggregated the total number of collected PVCs in those polling units and it came to a total of 91,829.

“And when we checked the results, the two leading political parties in this contest, APC and PDP, polled 388,258 and 342,980 votes respectively. When we looked at the difference, it stands at 45,278.”

He noted that they had no option other than to refer to sections 51(2) and (3) of the Electoral Act 2022 for guidance.

He read the provision as saying: “Where the number of votes cast in an election in any polling unit exceeds the number of accredited voters in that polling unit, the presiding officer shall cancel the result of the election in that polling unit.

“Sub-section three of section 51 also states that where the result of an election is cancelled in accordance with sub-section two, there shall be no return for the election until another poll has taken place in the affected polling unit.”

He added: “By virtue of this provision and the powers vested in me as the collation and returning officer of the 2023 gubernatorial election in Kebbi State, I, Prof. Yusuf Sa’idu of the Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, hereby declare the gubernatorial election in Kebbi State inconclusive.”