INEC Suspends Collation Of Kogi Election Results Till Monday

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has suspended the collation of results of the governorship election in Kogi State.

The Returning Officer for the election and Vice-Chancellor of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, Professor Ibrahim Umar, announced this on Sunday in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital.

Professor Umar told party agents and other political stakeholders present at the INEC office where the collation of results took place that the exercise would continue by 9am on Monday.

He explained that the announcement was necessary as the results of the election in the remaining two local governments have yet to be brought to the collation centre.

The announcement followed the collation of results of the election in 19 out of the 21 local government areas (LGAs) in Kogi.

Those collated so far are Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ankpa, Bassa, Dekina, Idah, Igalamela-Odolu, Ijumu, and Kabba/Bunu LGAs.

Others are Koton Karfe, Mopa-Muro, Ofu, Ogori/Magongo, Okehi, Okene, Olamaboro, Omala, Yagba East, and Yagba West LGAs.

The local governments where results are expected are Ibaji and Lokoja LGAs.

The incumbent governor and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Yahaya Bello, as well as the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Social Democratic Party (SDP), Musa Wada and Natasha Akpoti, are among the leading contenders in the election.

Of the results collated so far, it is a close battle between Bello who won 10 LGAs and Wada who claimed nine LGAs while Natasha has yet to win any local government.

However, the governor has so far polled 374,081 votes and taken the lead with over 200,000 votes as his PDP and SDP rivals scored 168,141 and 8,539 votes respectively.

See the table below: