Why INEC declared Sokoto Governorship Election Inconclusive

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has declared March 9 Governorship election in Sokoto State inconclusive.

It said the decision was because 75, 403 votes were cancelled which were higher than 3, 413 margin difference.

The State’s Chief Returning Officer, Prof. Fatima Muktar, made the declaration on Sunday in Sokoto, stating that 51 Candidates contested the election.

Muktar, who is the Vice Chancellor, Federal University Dutse (FUD), Jigawa, declared that it was based on the consideration of cancelled votes that emanated from 136 polling units in the state.

”From the foregoing, the election is declared inconclusive as I cannot take a decision in recognition of the narrow margin according to electoral law,” Muktar said.

She added that the total registered voters were 1, 887, 767 while 1, 033, 081 voters were accredited.

Muktar said the total valid votes were 987, 952 and the total rejected votes were 30, 082, while the total votes cast were 1, 018, 024 at the concluded election.

According to the results declared, Gov. Aminu Tambuwal of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, won the election in 12 out of the 23 LGAs results announced with 3,413 votes margins.

Tambuwal polled 489, 558 votes while his close rival, Alhaji Ahmad Aliyu of the All Progressives Congress, APC, scored 486, 145 votes.

According to her, the PDP has the higher votes in 12 LGAs while APC has 11 LGAs with a margin of 3, 413 votes difference between them.

She said the figure of cancelled votes was 75, 403 at different polling units across the state due to various reasons.

Muktar further explained that other parties shared the remaining percentage of votes cast.