Just in: INEC declares Kebbi guber election inconclusive 

INEC on Monday declared the gubernatorial election in Kebbi as “inconclusive”.

The two major political parties, the APC and PDP, engaged in a fierce campaign for the election, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

In the collation center located at INEC headquarters in Birnin Kebbi, Prof. Yusuf Sa’idu of Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, announced his status as the election’s collation and returning officer.

He claimed that cancellations occurred in 20 of the state of Kebbi’s 21 Local Government Areas, spanning several Registration Areas (RAs) in various voting districts.

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

He noted that they had no option than to refer to the electoral laws on page 31 of the Electoral Act 2022, section 51 sub-sections two and three for guidance.

According to him, law reads: “Where the number of votes cast in an election in any polling unit exceed the number of accredited voters in that polling unit, the presiding officer shall cancel the result of the election in that polling unit.

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

“By virtue of this provisions and the powers vested in me as the collation and returning officer of 2023 gubernatorial election in Kebbi State, I, Prof. Yusuf Sa’idu of the Usman Danfodio University, Sokoto, hereby declare the gubernatorial election in Kebbi State inconclusive.” (NAN)