The All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and other political parties are stepping up campaigns to increase their lawmakers in the 10th National Assembly.
The development followed an announcement yesterday by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that supplementary polls will hold on April 15 in two states (governorship); seven senatorial districts; 32 federal constituencies and some state constituencies.
According to the electoral umpire, the governorship rerun will hold in Adamawa and Kebbi states; senatorial polls in Kebbi (Kebbi North); Plateau (Plateau Central); Yobe (Yobe South); Zamfara (Zamfara Central); Sokoto (Sokoto East, North and South) districts.
Elections were declared inconclusive in the affected states, senatorial zones and constituencies by INEC after the February 25 Presidential/National Assembly polls and the March 18 Governorship/State Assembly elections following some infractions.
The April 15 supplementary polls will drop the curtain on the 2023 election cycle.
The governorship rerun in Adamawa will be a straight contest between incumbent Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of the PDP and APC female candidate Senator Aishatu Binani.
Before the Adamawa governorship election was declared inconclusive, Fintiri of the PDP had polled 421, 524 votes. His APC challenger Senator Binani garnered 390, 275.
The results tallied from 20 local government areas, showed Fintiri winning in 13 and the senator taking seven.
But the INEC suspended the collation of the results from Fufore Local Government Area, following reports that thugs had snatched the results sheet.
Both parties have been trading accusations of attempts to manipulate the results.
INEC said the difference between what he scored and what Binani scored was less than the number of registered voters in the area where the election was cancelled.
In Kebbi, APC candidate, Dr. Nasir Idris was ahead of the PDP contender Aminu Bande with 388,258 votes to 342,980.
So far, the APC has won governorship seats in 15 states, PDP, nine and LP and the NNPP in one state each.
In the Senate, the APC has 56 seats, PDP (32) and the LP (seven), Young Peoples Party (YPP) has one, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) got two; All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) has one and the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has two.
In the House of Representatives, the APC has the majority of 162 seats, while the PDP has 102 and the LP, 34.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, announced the supplementary elections in Abuja yesterday.
Elections will hold in two federal constituencies in Akwa Ibom (Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika and Ikono/Ini); Edo (Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode); Imo (Ikeduru/Mbaitoli and Isu/Njaba/Nkwere/Nwangele); Kano (Doguwa/Tudun Wada and Fagge); Kebbi (Arewa/Dandi and Koko/Besse/Maiyoma); Oyo (Ibadan North East/Ibadan South East and Oluyole); Rivers (Gokana/Khana and Port Harcourt II) as well as Zamfara (Gummi/Bukkuyum and Gusau/Tsafe).
There will also be supplementary polls in one federal constituency in Taraba (Takum/Donga/Ussa); Kogi (Bassa/Dekina); Jigawa (Gumel/Maigatari/Sule Tankarkar/Gagarawa), Ebonyi (Ezza North/Ishielu), Bayelsa (Southern Ijaw) and Anambra (Igbaru).
Although House Leader, Alhassan Ado Doguwa was initially declared the winner of the Doguwa/Tudun Wada federal constituency, INEC withdrew the announcement, saying the results were declared under duress.
Okoye explained in the statement that the commission met and reviewed the areas where supplementary elections were required to conclude the outstanding governorship, and national and state assembly elections across the country.
He recalled that 26 state governorship, 104 senatorial, 329 federal and 935 state constituency elections were concluded and winners declared.
The statement reads in part: “Supplementary governorship elections will be held in Adamawa and Kebbi, five Senatorial Districts, 31 Federal and 58 State Assembly constituencies.
“Owing to the competitive nature of the elections, especially for legislative seats, supplementary elections will be held in just a few polling units in some constituencies,” he said.
Okoye said the comprehensive list of the polling units by state, local government, registration area, registered voters and Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) collected would be published on the INEC website on or before Wednesday.
He appealed to all political parties, candidates and stakeholders to note the date and locations of the supplementary elections.
Okoye said the earlier accreditation for polling and collation agents, observers and the media still subsisted for the supplementary elections.
“The commission once again urges political parties, candidates and their supporters to see the exercise as an election and not war.
“They should avoid incendiary statements and negative mobilisation so that the elections can be conducted and concluded as scheduled.”
<<The Nation>>