INEC declares Kebbi governorship election inconclusive

The Kebbi governorship race has been declared “inconclusive” by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday.

Yusuf Sa’idu, a lecturer at Usman Danfodio University, announced who is the election’s collation and returning officer, made the pronouncement at the INEC collation center in Birnin Kebbi headquarters.

He said that there were cancellations in 20 of the state’s 21 Local Government Areas, affecting numerous Registration Areas (RAs) in various voting units.

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

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He stated that their only choice was to follow the instructions provided in section 51 sub-sections two and three of the electoral laws on page 31 of the Electoral Act 2022.

Quoting a section of the electoral law, he said, “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 election result in that polling unit.

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

“Under these provisions and the powers vested in me as the collation and returning officer of the 2023 gubernatorial election in Kebbi State, I, Yusuf Sa’idu of the Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, hereby declare the gubernatorial election in Kebbi State, inconclusive.”

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