INEC declares no winner in major election in Northern state, announces rerun

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared that there was no winner in the February 25 National Assembly Election in Doguwa and Tudunwada Federal Constituency.

Professor Ibrahim Adamu Yakasai, the Returning Officer for the election, announced the new development in Doguwa’s constituency on Wednesday, March 8, Daily Trust reported.

Recall that Alhassan Doguwa, Majority Leader of the House of Representatives, who contested on the All Progressives Congress (APC), was initially declared winner of the exercise.

However, the electoral commission later delisted his name from the reps-elect and failed to issue him a certificate of return.

The commission had explained that Doguwa was declared the winner of the election under duress. The lawmaker was subsequently arrested in connection with the violence which broke out in the constituency during the collation of the election and led to the deaths of at least two people.

The police had arraigned the ranking lawmaker at a magistrate’s court which remanded him in prison. But Doguwa was granted N500 million bail and barred from Saturday’s election.

Professor Yakasai at a press briefing on Wednesday announced that INEC reviewed and declared Doguwa and Tudun Wada federal constituency election was inconclusive.

The returning officer said he was forced to announce the winner of the election under duress. He said the difference between the two leading candidates was less than the number of votes cancelled.

According to Yakasai, votes in 13 polling units were cancelled. He noted that a total of 6,917 PVCs were collected in the 13 cancelled polling units which is higher than the total difference of 4,934 votes between the first and the runner-up.

He added that supplementary elections would hold in the affected polling units to determine the winner.