The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared Muhammadu Yahaya of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of Saturday’s governorship election held in Gombe State.
The incumbent governor polled 342,821 to emerge the winner having defeated his closest challenger and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Muhammad Barde, who scored 233,131 and the New Nigeria Peoples Party’s Khamisu Mailantarki, who recorded 19,861 votes.
Announcing the result at the collation centre, the state returning officer, Professor Maimuna Waziri, who doubles as the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Gashua, Yobe State, said the APC candidate emerged winner having polled the highest votes.
Our correspondent reports that out of 11 local government areas, Barde won two, while the APC cleared nine LGAs to emerge victorious.
“That Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya of the All Progressives Congress, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared the winner and returned elected,” Waziri said.
According to the returning officer, Gombe has 1,575,794 registered voters out of which 618,231 were accredited.
He added that 605,355 were the total valid votes, while 11,390 votes were voided with 616,745 as the total votes cast.
Based on the results earlier announced for Gombe LGA, the APC scored 58,645 votes, while the candidate of the PDP scored 31,605, and the NNPP recorded 4,878 votes.
For Kwami LGA, the APC won by 33,956 votes, while the PDP scored 17,454 and the NNPP 1,087 votes; Yalmatu Deba of the APC won with 43,981, the PDP had 28,538 and the NNPP recorded 2,320; Funakaye LGA – the APC scored 30,371, the PDP recorded 17,332 and the NNPP 606; Akko LGA – the APC scored 50,919, the PDP scored 36,759 and the NNPP recorded 2,953.
Others are: Shongom LGA, APC – 14,752 votes, PDP – 23,066, NNPP – 3421; Nafada LGA – the APC scored 15,025, the PDP scored 9,378, and the NNPP recorded 411; Balanga LGA APC scored 25,341, PDP recorded 20085, NNPP polled 1,130; Dukku LGA APC won with 35,207, the PDP scored 14,181, and the NNPP recorded 1,079; Kaltungo LGA – the APC scored 21,015, the PDP won with 21,321 and the NNPP recorded 1,129; Billiri LGA – the APC recorded 14,752, the PDP won with 23,066 and the NNPP polled 3,421 votes.