Buhari leads, wins 10 in 17 states

ABUJA—WITH results from 18 states of the country and Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress, APC, had an early lead over his Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, opponent, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar in last Saturday’s presidential election.President Buhari with Director of Election Planning and Monitoring Babatunde Fashola, Director Contacts and Mobilization Hadiza Bala Usman, DG Campaign Council Rotimi Amaechi and APC National Chairman Adams Oshiomole as he visits Campaign Headquarters in Abuja where he received updates on the performance of APC in the Presidential Elections on 25th Feb 2019

According to authenticated results from the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Buhari led Atiku with about 1000,000 votes at press time in what could pan out as Nigeria’s keenest presidential race. So far, the 1993 presidential election remains the toughest followed by the 2015 exercise. While late Chief M.K.O Abiola beat Bashir Tofa with about two million votes in 1993, President Buhari edged out former President Goodluck Jonathan with about 2.5 million votes in 2015. Of the states declared so far, Atiku won in Oyo,Ondo, FCT, Abia,Plateau, Adamawa and Enugu. That of Oyo, the only state Atiku won in the South-West was very spectacular because he narrowly beat Buhari with 1,363 votes. Atiku was also leading in Akwa Ibom, Delta, Anambra, and Benue. On the other hand, Buhari emerged the victor in 11 states, namely, Ekiti, Osun, Ogun, Lagos, Kwara, Nasarawa, Kogi, Yobe, Sokoto and Gombe. He was also leading in Borno, Katsina, Kebbi,  and Kaduna at press time. Atiku leads in Anambra At press time, the PDP presidential candidate won all the 17 local councils announced in Anambra. PDP Vice Presidential Candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, is from Anambra State. The 17 councils announced at press time were Njikoka APC (967), PDP (28,364); Oyi APC- 1272 PDP-20,927; Anambra East APC-6755, PDP-13422; Orumba South APC-761, PDP-18867; Awka South APC-1435, PDP-40099; and Awka North APC- 1134, PDP-15725. The rest are Onitsha South APC-905, PDP-29795; Ihiala APC- 1382, PDP- 34307; Nnewi North APC-1324, PDP-34260; Ogbaru APC -1044, PDP- 22084; Aguata APC- 1955, PDP- 32328; Idemili South Buhari maintains lead as INEC releases more results in Kaduna       APC- 2220, PDP- 17039; Onitsha North APC- 1220, PDP- 33597; Ayamelum APC- 1458 PDP- 18642; Anaocha APC- 11055, PDP- 30655; Dunukofia APC- 1452, PDP-17230; and Anambra West APC- 2428, PDP- 15384. How Atiku won in Plateau On the Plateau, the PDP won 11 of the 17 local councils leaving six for the APC. The PDP scored 548,665 votes while the APC got 468,555 votes, winning with a margin of 80,110 votes. According to the results announced at the State Presidential Election Coalition Centre by the Returning Officer, Professor Richard Anande, in Mikang local council, APC got 10,869 while PDP got 11,262. In Kanke, APC got 11,869 and PDP got 22,875. In Pankshin, APC got 21,607 and PDP got 30,509. Jos East gave APC 11,874 and PDP 8,853. In Langtang South, APC polled 11,224 while PDP scored 18,470. Qua’an Pan gave APC 20,872 and PDP, 17,479. In Jos South APC got 25,574 and PDP scored 106,526, in Bokkos, APC scored 18,328 while PDP polled 32,236. Riyom gave APC  8,710 and PDP 21,892. In Langtang North, it was APC 16,665 while PDP got 34,105. In Bassa, APC got 27,632 while PDP got 34, 822. APC won in Shendam with 38,196 while the PDP got 24,162. Barkin Ladi gave APC 15,390 votes and PDP 42,136. In Mangu, APC polled 42,947 while PDP polled 48,923. In Jos North, APC got 93,800 and PDP, 53,277. Wase gave 35,931 to APC while PDP got 22,807 and lastly, Kanam gave 51,017 votes to APC and 18, 331 votes to PDP. Buhari edges out Atiku in Ogun The presidential candidate of the APC won in Ogun State with 281,762 votes. His closest rival, Atiku Abubakar of the PDP polled 194,655 votes. The results from the 20 local government areas of the state were announced, yesterday afternoon by the returning officer, Joseph Fuwape, at the INEC headquarters in Abeokuta. He gave the total accredited voters as 605,938, valid votes 564,256, while rejected votes were 41,682 and total votes cast 605,938. Atiku leads in Delta, lose Ethiope East to Buhari In Delta, Atiku led in the results announced so far. The Returning Officer for Uvwie Local Government Area, Prof Sam Ike, said Atiku Abubakar polled 12, 712 votes while President Buhari scored 7,591 votes. Announcing results from Oshimili South Local Council,Dr Comfort Onyeneno, said the PDP presidential candidate scored 38,670 while his APC counterpart polled 2,635. In Aniocha South, according to the Returning Officer, Dr Emeka Ugbo, Abubakar scored 14,770 to beat Buhari who polled 3,239 votes. In Udu Local Council, the Returning Officer, Dr Stella Omonigho, said Atiku scored 10,048 votes while Buhari got 9,166 votes. In Ika South Local Council, Abubakar polled 20, 080 votes while Buhari, according to returning officer, Dr Louis Chiejihe, polled 6,378 votes. In Ethiope East, the President Buhari sprang surprises, scoring 13,854 votes to beat Atiku, who scored 8,294 votes as announced by the Returning Officer, Prof Endurance Ophori. Ethiope East is the local government of the APC governorship candidate, Chief Great Ogboru. Buhari wins Kogi President Buhari, after a tough contest, won Kogi State having polled overall votes of 285, 894 compared to Atiku Abubakar’s 218,207 votes. The presidential results declared by the Kogi State Collation Officer, Prof Michael Adikwu of the University of Abuja, showed that Buhari won in 14 of the 21 LGAs of the state while Atiku won in seven. Atiku wins Enugu, Buhari fails to secure 25 percent In Enugu, the PDP candidate polled 355,553 votes to beat the APC candidate, who secured 54,423 votes. Announcing the results at the state collation office, the state Presidential collation officer and Vice Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Prof Joseph Ahaneku stated that out of 1.9 registered voters in the state, only 452,765 were accredited for the election. He also noted that the total number of votes cast in the state was 451,063; with valid votes as 421,014 while rejected votes were 30,049. Atiku takes 11 of 17 LGAs declared in Benue Atiku Abubakar of the PDP led in Benue from results of 17 of the 23 local councils released so far. According to the results announced INEC, Governor Samuel Ortom delivered Guma LGA to PDP with a tally of 21,641 votes as against the 6,172 votes polled by the APC. Former Governor Gabriel Suswam who is almost coasting home to victory in the Benue North East senatorial election, also delivered Logo LGA to Alhaji Abubakar with his party the PDP polling a total of 28,227 while APC garnered 3,872. Former Governor George Akume also delivered Tarka his LGA to President Muhammadu Buhari with 12,197 votes while the PDP polled 4,875. However, Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbe failed to deliver his LGA, Ogbadibo where PDP polled 8,889 votes to defeat APC which polled 6,970 votes. Former Minister of Interior and likely winner of the senatorial seat of Benue south district, Comrade Abba Moro, delivered Okpokwu LGA to Atiku Abubakar who garnered 11,974 against 5,956 polled by the APC, same as Gwer East LGA where PDP polled 18,192 votes to defeat the APC which garnered 14,907 votes. In Gwer West LGA, the PDP presidential candidate garnered 14,660 as against the 6,275 votes polled by the APC candidate while Agatu LGA returned 8,225 for the PDP candidate as against the 4,170 polled by his APC rival. The PDP candidate also defeated his APC opponent in Apa local government area with 8,073 votes as against the 5,255 votes garnered by President Buhari same as Ado LGA where the PDP candidate polled 8,614 while the APC candidate scored 5,373. In Ushongo LGA President Buhari polled 18,364 votes to defeat Atiku who garnered 15,479 votes while in Konshisha LGA where over 15,000 votes in 10 polling units were cancelled by INEC as a result of alleged electoral material snatching, President Buhari polled 27,165 votes as against the 8,726 polled by Atiku Abubakar. President Buhari narrowly took Ohimini LGA with 7,865 votes while Atiku Abubakar polled 6,775 votes. While In Obi LGA the PDP presidential candidate also narrowly took it with 7,803 votes to defeat President Buhari who polled 7,336 votes. In Buruku LGA, where Mr. Orker Jev, who is at the verge of defeating Senator George Akume in the Benue North West senatorial district race, PDP polled 23,236 votes while APC garnered 17,033 votes while in Ushongo LGA, PDP polled 15,479 while the APC garnered 18,764 votes The results from Makurdi LGA indicated that the APC took it with a total of 39,584 votes while PDP polled 24,649 votes. Oju LGA also gave it to APC with 14,064 votes while PDP garnered 10,451 votes. Meanwhile results from six LGAs including Vandeikya, Katsina/Ala, Gboko, Otukpo, Ukum and Kwande were still being awaited at the time of this report. Atiku wins FCT, lose Ogun, Lagos Atiku Abubakar also won the presidential election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). He polled 259,995 votes while President Buhari got152,224 votes. In Ogun, the figures declared by the collation officers showed that Buhari led in 18 of the 30 local government areas of the state, while Atiku led in the remaining 12 . Buhari polled 281,762 votes to Atiku’s 194,655 votes In Lagos, President Buhari had the upper hand beating Atiku with a margin of 132,798 votes. The margin was lower than the 160,143 votes with which Buhari defeated Jonathan in 2015 in the state. In 2015, Buhari polled 792,460 votes, while Jonathan got 632,327. In the latest results announced by the INEC in Yaba, Lagos, yesterday afternoon, Buhari polled 580,814 votes to beat Atiku, who got 448,016 votes. While Buhari won in 15 local government areas of Lagos, while Atiku won in five councils. How Buhari won in Nasarawa In Nasarawa, Azubuike Nwankwo, the Returning Officer for the state, said that Buhari polled 289, 903 votes to defeat Atiku Abubakar who scored 283,847 votes. The result showed that Buhari won in eight out of the 13 local government areas of the state with Mr Abubakar winning in five. Mr Nwankwo said 613,720 voters were accredited, while the total votes cast at presidential election in the state stood at 599,399. Buhari records landslide victory in Yobe In Yobe Buhari recorded a landslide victory over Atiku. He polled 497,914 votes as against to beat the Atiku’s 50,763 votes. Prof. Abubakar Gunduri, the state Collation officer, announced the result after collation from the 17 local government areas in the state, yesterday. He said that the state had 1,365,913 registered voters, out of which, 601,059 were accredited for the election. Mr Gunduri added that a total of 586,137 votes were cast. Atiku wins Adamawa presidential election Atiku Abubakar, won in his home state of Adamawa, where he polled 412, 266 votes to defeat President Buhari, his closest challenger who scored 377,488. Mr Buhari, however, won 11 of the state’s 21 local government areas, while Mr Abubakar picked the remaining 10. The results show a difference of 34,778 votes between them. Atiku beats Buhari in Oyo, Ondo In Oyo, Abubakar won in 18 of the 33 local government areas polling 366,592 votes, while Buhari won in the remaining 15 local government areas scored 365,229 votes. The results were released, yesterdy, by AbdulKareem Suleiman-Age, INEC chief collation officer for Oyo presidential election. Suleiman-Age is the vice-chancellor of the University of Ilorin. The results showed that Atiku won in Ibarapa east, Ibarapa north, Ogbomosho north, Ogbomosho south, Afijio, Saki east, Kajola, Iwajowa, Ibadan north west and Olorunsogo. Others are: Ona Ara, Surulere, Ibadan North, Ogo-Oluwa, Akinyele, Orire, Lagelu and Ibadan North east. Buhari emerged winner in Egbeda, Irepodun, Oluyole, Itesiwaju, Saki west, Atisbo, Iseyin, Orelope, Ibarapa central, Ido, Oyo east, Atiba, Oyo est, Ibadan south west and Ibadan South-East. Also, Atiku defeated Buhari in Ondo State. INEC returning officer, Prof Kayode Soremekun said Atiku polled 275 ,901 votes to defeat President Buhari who had 241 ,769 votes. Soremekun said that the PDP candidate won in 12 council areas while the PDP won in six councils. Councils won by the opposition PDP include lrele, Ondo East, Akure North, Akure South, ldanre, lfedore, ile- Oluji/ Oke- igbo, Ose, Okitipupa and Ese- Odo. The ruling APC won in Owo, Akoko South East, Akoko North West, Akoko North East, Akoko South West and Odigbo. Breaking: Atiku in early lead in five LGs in Delta       Giving the analysis, the returning officer said 1,812 ,567 were registered voters, 598586 were accredited while total valid votes stood at 555984 The total number of total votes cast according to him was 586,827 while rejected votes were 30,833. Buhari wins in Sokoto President Buhari won State the polls in Sokoto State. He got 490, 333 votes to beat Atiku, who scored 361,604 votes. The Sokoto State Collation Officer for Presidential election, Prof. Muhammed Yahuza of the Bayero University Kano, who presided over the collation, announced the result.