Anxiety in the polity reached a feverish peak, yesterday, as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the third time, shifted the announcement of Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly election to 11 a.m. today.
However, before adjourning the announcement to Monday, the INEC National Collation Centre, chaired by INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, announced the result for Ekiti.
Results from most states of the country were being collated at the state level at press time as complaints about the slow response rate of the INEC Result Viewing, IREV, and Potal reigned.
Reports from the states showed that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, won Osun, Adamawa and was doing well in some Northern states. Mr. Peter Obi of the Labour Party, LP was winning in the South-East, Edo, and made an impact in Lagos and Abuja.
All Progressives Congress, APC’s Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, was leading in South-West, won some councils in Rivers and others in the North.
Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Party, NNPP, was leading in Kano and making inroads in some Northern states.
The electoral umpire had initially fixed 12 p.m yesterday for the announcement of the result. It later shifted it to 6p.m, yesterday before postponing it to 11 a.m today.
This happened as House Representatives Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, led a crop of serving Reps, who retained their seats just as Ebonyi State Governor won his election for Ebonyi South Senatorial zone. Also Senate spokesperson, Ajibola Basiru, was among senators who failed to return.
At the collation of the results of the presidential election, which began at 6:50 p.m., the State Collation Officer for the Presidential Election SCOPE in Ekiti State, Prof. Akeem Olawale Lasisi said elections took place in all the 16 local councils.
However, he said results from a polling unit in Ado Ekiti and another from a unit in Ekiti East Local Government Area were canceled “due to bypass of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS and over-voting”.
Giving a breakdown of the figures, he said the All Progressives Congress, APC, polled 201,494 votes; the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, garnered 89,554; Labour Party, LP, got 11,397 while the Social Democratic Party, SDP, polled 2,011 votes.
The total number of accredited voters was put at 315,058, while the total valid
votes stood at 308,171. Also, the total number of rejected votes was 6,301 even as the total votes cast was 314, 472.
Speaking after receiving the results, Professor Mahmood Yakubu said more results would be expected in the wee hours, saying provisions had been made for an efficient transport system for the state collation officers. He consequently adjourned proceedings to 11am on Monday.
