Headline

Presidential Elections: APC Leads as INEC Releases Results (See How they Fared)

Published

7 years ago

February 26, 2019

Eric

The Independent National Electoral Commission on Monday started the announcement of the results of Saturday’s presidential election.

As of the time of filing this report, INEC had announced the result in 10 states and the Federal Capital Territory.

The states are Ondo, Ekiti, Gombe, Kwara, Kogi, Yobe, Abia, Osun, Nasarawa, Ebonyi, Enugu and the Federal Capital Territory.

The results were announced by the returning officers of the states at the National Collation Centre in Abuja.

The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, President Muhammadu Buhari, won in Ekiti, Nasarawa, Yobe, Kwara, Kogi and Gombe, while his closest rival, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, won in Ondo, Abia, Ebonyi and the FCT.

However, some results declared by collation officers in states which have not been taken to the national collation centre in Abuja reveal that Buhari is in strong lead. The states where Buhari is leading in this category include Bauchi, Lagos, Ogun and Sokoto, Jigawa, Kaduna while Atiku has won in Adamawa and Plateau states.

Buhari wins in Kwara with 308,984 votes

In Kwara State, Buhari won the election having scored 308,984 votes, as announced by INEC.

The result was announced on Monday at the National Collation Centre, Abuja, by Prof. Abdullahi Bala, of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, who is the Collation Officer for the election in Kwara.

Bala, while announcing the result, said Atiku scored 138,984 votes.

He said Prof. Kingsley Moghalu of the Young Progressives Party secured 140 votes; Ositelu Babatunde of Accord (A) got 149 votes; while Ibrahim Hassan of the African Peoples Alliance scored 1,010 votes.

Bala gave the number of total registered voters in the state as 1,401,895; total accredited voters 489,482; Total valid votes 459,676, total votes cast at 486,254 and rejected votes to be 26,578.

Atiku floors Buhari in Adamawa

However, Atiku was declared the winner of the election in his home state of Adamawa.

Declaring the result on Monday in Yola, the Presidential Election Returning Officer for Adamawa, Prof. Andrew Yakubu, said Abubakar scored 410,266 votes to defeat the APC candidate who scored 378,078 votes.

Yakubu said the total number of registered voters in the state was 1,959,322, while 874,920 voters were accredited

The Presidential election results are from the 21 local government areas of Adamawa.

The PDP won in 11 LGAs, while the APC had 10.

INEC announces Buhari winner in Ekiti

INEC however announced Buhari of the APC as winner of Saturday’s election in Ekiti.

The result was announced at the National Collation Centre, Abuja, by Prof. Idowu Olayinka, Vice-Chancellor, University of Ibadan, who is the Collation Officer for the election in the state.

Olayinka said Buhari polled 219, 231 votes to beat Atiku, who scored 154,032 votes. Felix Nicholas of Peoples Coalition Party was third with 2,299 votes.

According to him, Moghalu of YPP scored 68 votes, Mr Da-Sliva Ayo of Save Nigeria Congress polled 339 votes, and Omoyele Sowere of the African Action Congress got 400 votes.

Other scores, Olayinka said, were 406 votes for the African Democratic Congress and 88 votes for Durotoye Olufela of Alliance for New Nigeria.

He said that total registered voters in Ekiti was 899,919, but that 395,741 were accredited, while total votes cast in the poll was 393,709, with 12, 577 rejected.

Olayinka noted that the number of political parties on the ballot paper was responsible for the high number of voided votes in the election.

Buhari defeats Atiku in Ogun

Also in Ogun State, Prof. Joseph Adeola-Fuwape, the state Collation Officer for the Presidential election, declared Buhari as the winner of the poll.

Adeola-Fuwape, who announced the result at the INEC headquarters in Abeokuta on Monday, said Buhari scored 281,762 votes, while his closest rival scored 194,655 votes.

Adeola-Fuwape, who is the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, said the total number of registered voters was 2,336, 887 while the total number of accredited voters was 613,397.

Adeola-Fuwape added that the number of valid votes was 564, 256 while 41,682 votes were rejected.

He also said the total number of votes cast was 605, 938.

He said Buhari won in 14 of the 20 council areas in the state while Atiku won in six council areas.

Buhari wins in Sokoto

INEC has also declared Buhari as the winner of the presidential election in Sokoto State with a margin of 138,729 votes.

Announcing the results at the Sultan Muhammadu Maccido Institute for Qur’an and General Studies, Prof. Mohammed Yahuza, the state returning officer for the presidential election, stated that Buhari polled 490,333 votes ahead of Atiku who scored 351,604.

Significantly, Buhari recorded massive win at Wamakko, Sokoto South, Wurno, Sokoto North, Gwadabawa and Tambuwal Local Government Areas of the state.

The PDP, however, put up a good showing in Silame, Isa, Tureta and Gudu Local Government Areas, out of the entire 23 LGAs in the state.

Out of the total 1,895,256 registered voters in the state, 950,107 were accredited for the election.

Out of this number, 925,940 voted; 871,891 were valid votes cast, and 54,049 recorded as voided votes.

Buhari triumphs over Atiku in Gombe

Buhari also won the election in Gombe State after polling 403,961 votes out of 580,649 total votes cast in the state.

The result was announced on Monday at INEC National Collation Centre in Abuja, by the State Returning Officer, Prof. Kyari Mohammed.

Mohammed, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of Modibbo Adama University of Technology, Yola, said Atiku scored 138,484 votes in the state.

He said that out of the 1,385,191 total registered voters in the state, 604,240 were accredited. The number of valid votes was 554,203, while 26,446 were rejected.

Mohammed said election was cancelled in 13 polling units in two Local Government Areas with 7,090 registered voters in the affected areas.

The cancelled polling units include 11 in Balanga LGA with 6,308 voters and two polling units with 782 registered voters in Duku LGA.

Atiku sweeps Ebonyi

INEC has declared Atiku winner in the presidential poll held in Ebonyi State on Saturday.

The News Agency of Nigeria reported that the APC in the state had, however, rejected the result and vowed to challenge it through appropriate channels.

The Presidential Election Collation Officer in the state, Prof. Chukwuemeka Eze, supervised the declaration of the results by INEC’s collation officers in the 13 local government areas in the state at the commission’s headquarters in Abakaliki.

Eze said Atiku garnered 258, 575 votes as against Buhari’s 90, 726 votes.

According to the results declared, Atiku won in 12 LGAs leaving Buhari with victory in Ikwo council.

Reacting to the result, Chairman of the APC in the state, Mr Eze Nwachukwu, called for the cancellation of the election citing intimidation, electoral violence and over-voting, allegedly committed by the ruling party in the state as reasons.

INEC declares Buhari as winner in Kogi

However, INEC announced Buhari as the winner of the election in Kogi State.

The result was announced at the National Collation Centre (ICC) Abuja, by Prof. Michael Adikwu, the Vice-Chancellor, University of Abuja, who is the Collation Officer for the election in the state.

Adikwu announced that Buhari polled 285,894 votes to defeat the PDP candidate, Atiku, who scored 218,207 votes.

Dr Obadiah Mailafia of the African Democratic Congress came third with 4,369 votes.

He said the number of registered voters in Kogi was 1,640,449 but that 570,773 were accredited, while votes cast were 553,496 with 32,480 rejected.

Adikwu noted that there were cases of violence in 15 out of 21 Local Government Areas in the state, which led to cancellation of 89, 101 votes.

Buhari defeats Atiku in Bauchi

President Buhari of the APC has won the presidential election in Bauchi State.

According to results announced by the Local Government Collation Officers in Bauchi on Monday, Buhari polled 798,438 to defeat Atiku.

The State Collation Officer who is the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Kashere, Gombe State, Prof. Alhassan Ghali, said Atiku got 209,313 votes in the election.

The APC candidate won in 19 of the 20 local governments in the state while the PDP won in only Bogoro LGA.

The last result from Katagum LGA arrived at the collation centre at about 9.20 pm after a long wait.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ibrahim Abdullahi, thanked party agents and observers for their patience.

However, the result will be officially declared in Abuja later today (Tuesday).

Buhari floors Atiku in Lagos

Buhari has also polled 580,825 votes to defeat his closest rival, Atiku of the PDP in Lagos State.

According to Prof. Felix Salako, the Vice-Chancellor, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, who was the INEC state collation officer, Atiku scored 448,015 to come second at the end of the state final collation of the Presidential election results from the 20 LGAs of the state.

Salako, who collated the results of the 20 LGAs, said the state had 6,313,507 registered voters out of which 1, 196, 490 were accredited for voting.

The LGA collation officers properly presented the results one after the other as they arrived at the collation centre before they were accepted by Salako.

According to him, the valid votes are 1,089,567, total rejected votes (67,023) while votes cast stand at 1,157, 590 in the presidential election.

Reeling out the results of each political parties, he said Accord polled 5, 948 votes, AAC, 8, 910; ADC, 2915; ADP, 1,262; and ANN polled 6,946.

The professor added that APA had 1,495 votes, DPP polled 1,372 votes, PCP got 8,458, and SNC scored 1766.

The other political parties that participated in the poll had less than 1000 votes each.

According to him, Form 6OE will be pasted at the collation centre after duly signed by the party agents.

Party agents took turns to sign the collated results for onward transmission to Abuja for the final collation.

Atiku wins Plateau with 548, 665 votes

Meanwhile, Atiku has won Saturday’s presidential election in Plateau State after scoring 548,665 votes.

Atiku defeated his closest opponent, Buhari, of the APC, who scored 468, 555 votes.

Prof. Richard Kimbir, the Collation Officer for the election in the state, declared the results on Monday in Jos.

Kambir, who is the Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, said Atiku won in 11 local government areas to defeat Buhari who won in six LGAs.

Atiku thrashes Buhari in Enugu

However, Atiku was announced as the winner of Saturday’s presidential election in Enugu State.

The result was announced at the National Collation Centre, Abuja, by Prof. Joseph Ehaneku, the Vice-Chancellor of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, who is the Collation Officer for the election in the state.

Ehaneku announced that Atiku polled 355,553 votes to defeat Buhari, who scored 54,423 votes.

He said that total registered voters in Abia were 1,935,168 but that 452,765 were accredited, while total votes cast in the polls were 451,014 with 30,049 rejected.

Buhari records landslide victory in Yobe

But Buhari was declared winner of the election in Yobe State.

Prof. Abubakar Musa, the State Returning Officer and Vice-Chancellor, Federal University Wukari , Taraba State, announcing the result, said Buhari scored 497,914 votes in the state.

Musa said that Atiku scored 50,763 votes from the 559.365 valid votes cast in the state.

He said that the state had 1,365,913 registered voters, 601,059 accredited voters for the election, 586,137 total votes cast and 26,772 rejected votes.

INEC declares Buhari winner in Jigawa

Buhari has also been declared winner in Jigawa State.

Prof. Abdullahi Zuru, Vice-Chancellor of Usman Danfodio University Sokoto, who is the State Collation Officer for the election, announced the result in Dutse on Monday.

He said that Buhari, who sought for re -election on the platform of the APC scored 794,738 to defeat his closest rival, Atiku who got 289,895 votes.

Zuru explained that a total of 1,106,244 votes were valid, 43,678 rejected and 1,149,922, the total number of votes cast during the exercise.

INEC declares Buhari winner in Kaduna

Buhari has won in Kaduna State with 993,482 votes.

Prof. Bello Shehu, the Returning Officer announced the result on Monday in Kaduna.

Shehu said Atiku scored 613,318 votes in the poll.

He said the APC won in 14 local government areas of the state, while the PDP won in nine local government areas.

INEC announces Atiku winner in Abia

Meanwhile, INEC has announced Atiku as winner of the election Abia State.

The result was announced at the National Collation Centre (ICC) Abuja, by Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba, the Vice-Chancellor, Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Ikwo, Ebonyi, who was the Collation Officer for the election in the state.

Nwajiuba announced that Atiku polled 219,698 votes to defeat Buhari, who scored 85,048 votes.

Similarly, Mr Donald Duke of the SDP was announced as coming third with 472 votes.

He said the number of registered voters in Abia was 1,793,861 but 361,561 were accredited, while votes cast in the polls were 344,471 with 21,180 rejected.

Nwajiuba noted that 98 polling units across seven Local Government Areas of the state were affected, while the number of registered voters affected was 59,825.

The Punch

Headline

Akpabio Lashes Out at Tinubu’s Critics, Says Nigeria Safe Despite Insecurity

Published

3 days ago

June 10, 2026

Eric

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has urged Nigerians to be careful of those trying to kidnap for ransom.

Akpabio argued on Tuesday that those behind kidnapping are perpetuating the activity to create an impression that Nigeria is not safe.

Speaking in Abuja during the commissioning of road projects to mark President Bola Tinubu’s third year anniversary, Akpabio said some of the president’s critics have resorted to paying youths to cause mayhem.

Akpabio accused Tinubu’s critics of focusing on insecurity instead of policy and infrastructure.

“Minister you said that people claimed that nothing is happening in Nigeria under the administration of President Tinubu. If they did not say that, how will they go for election? he asked rhetorically.

“If you realize what is happening recently, when they realized that they can’t talk about projects, performance, good laws, transformation in the Petroleum industry, subsidy removal that have been promised Nigerians for decades, they can no longer talk about the high-rise buildings in Abuja such as the NRS building, they resorted to paying young people and recruiting them to cause mayhem in the country.

“Be very vigilant and be careful about people trying to kidnap for ransom. They are kidnapping in order to give the impression that Nigeria is not safe.

“Our men and women in uniform have done tremendously well but many people will not know and that is why I keep saying that the devil you see today, you will soon see them no more.

“Elections will come and go; elections will never be our end; we will see the end of elections; it will never see our end,” he said.

Headline

The Search for Justice: ADC vs Tsoho

Published

5 days ago

June 8, 2026

Eric

By Eric Elezuo

From the first day the African Democratic Congress (ADC) took a new shape in July, 2025, in readiness to wrest power from the government of the day, crises, allegedly engineered by the President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC), have remained its lot.

From the struggle for leadership positions to the fight to save itself from deregistration, the hitherto coalition and main opposition party, has remained in a battle for its life and existence. And has not relented in the search for lasting justice. This time, it has taken the law itself to court to ensure that justice is not only done, but seen to have been done.

It would be recalled that shortly after the the party ratified the election of Senator David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola as Chairman and Secretary of the party respectively, skirmishes were noticed among the rank and file of the party as a supposedly former deputy national chairman of the party, Nafiu Bala Gombe, claimed chairmanship of party, saying that since the founding chairman had resigned, it is constitutionally incumbent upon him to automatically assume the chairmanship role.

Gombe’s claims came on the heels of his ‘resignation’ from office, which paved the way for a new national executive of the party to be constituted. But his claims did not deter the party from carrying on with the formation and running of the party, including holding a keenly contested presidential primary election, which produced His Excellency, the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar. So Gombe went to court. Yet, Mark and Aregbesola carried on the running of the party.

As a result, Gombe had approached a court for an order restraining Mark leadership from parading themselves as leaders of the ADC pending the hearing and determination of his suit challenging their leadership.

He had also asked the court to issue another order against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), restraining it from recognizing the Mark leadership.

But in his ruling in the interlocutory application, Justice Emeka Nwite ordered Gombe to put the defendants on notice so that they appear before the court to show cause, why the application should not be granted.

Rather than appearing before the trial court to show cause, the defendant appealed to the Abuja division of the Court of Appeal, challenging the jurisdiction of the trial court to dabble into the matter they described as internal matters of the ADC.

The appellate court in dismissing the appeal for lacking in merit, ordered accelerated hearing in the suit and further ordered all parties to maintain status quo ante bellum.

Dissatisfied, Mark had approached the appellate court but, his appeal was dismissed and the matter returned to the trial court.

With the to and from nature of the cases involving the ADC leadership crisis, the party has accused judges of bias in favoring party detractors and disobedience to court rules among other malice, the party has taken a new route to obtain the much eluded justice, and that involves charging the custodians of the law to court.

Consequently, the ADC has filed a lawsuit before a High Court in Abuja involving the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, over concerns arising from the ongoing leadership dispute within the party.

Also joined in the suit is the National Judicial Council (NJC), which the party said had not addressed issues it raised regarding the handling of a case challenging the leadership of former Senate President, Senator David Mark, within the ADC.

The lawsuit, dated June 4, 2026, was filed by the National Welfare Secretary of the ADC, Nkemakolam Ukandu, who is seeking to be joined in Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025 instituted by Nafiu Bala Gombe against the Mark-led leadership of the party.

According to the suit, Ukandu expressed concerns about the handling of the matter and alleged that the actions of both Justice Tsoho and Justice Peter Lifu, the judge assigned to hear the case, could affect confidence in the proceedings.

The lawsuit further stated that the assignment of the case to Justice Lifu stirred concerns among some members of the party, who believe the process may not guarantee a fair hearing.

The legal action marks a fresh twist in the leadership dispute within the ADC, which has attracted significant political attention ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Aside Justice John Tsoho, other defendants are the National Judicial Council (NJC), and Justice Peter Lifu, a judge newly assigned to hear the suit challenging the Senator David Mark-led leadership of ADC.

The plaintiff, who was seeking to be joined in the Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025, brought by Nafiu Bala Gombe against the Mark-led leadership, accused the chief judge and Lifu of manifest bias, and willingness to do the biddings of persons against the interest of the party.

Ukandu, in the suit he personally filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja, faulted the chief judge for reassigning the suit to Lifu, in alleged disregard of the orders of the Supreme Court as well as Justice Emeka Nwite of the Abuja division of the Federal High Court, who initially heard the suit brought by Gombe against the party.

The plaintiff, in the suit marked FHC/ ABJ/ CS/ 1165/2026, recalled that an appeal from an interlocutory decision of Nwite rose to the Supreme Court, wherein the apex court on April 30, 2026, “made an order of remittance of Suit No: FHC/ABJ/CS/1819/2025: Nafiu Bala Gombe VS. ADC & 4 ORS back to Justice Emeka Nwite for continuation of hearing of pending applications challenging the jurisdiction of the trial court.”

He stated that upon resumption of hearing before Nwite, the plaintiff wrote to the chief judge praying for a reassignment of the matter to another judge of the Honourable Court.

Ukandu stated, “All the defendants’ counsel, including counsel to the applicants seeking to be joined in this matter, opposed the said application by the plaintiff’s counsel and Hon. Justice Emeka Nwite thereafter adjourned the matter sine die pending the service of the said letter by the plaintiff’s on all the parties in the matter, outcome of the letter by the 2nd defendant and the furnishing of the CTC of the judgement of the Supreme Court to the court.

“Without complying with the orders of the Supreme Court and Hon. Justice Emeka Nwite, the 2nd Defendant in abuse of his judicial powers reassigned this matter,” to Lifu.

He added that the third defendant, on his part, pretending not to see the order of Nwite, went ahead and fixed the matter for hearing for June 3, 2026.

Ukandu further recalled that ADC had on May 7 informed the public through a press release that the chief judge had planned to reassign the case to another judge favourable to the plaintiff.

He said the party had “warned against such unethical practice but the 2nd Defendant despite the public outcry reassigned the suit to the 3rd Defendant who have been nick-named as ‘Wike Judges’.”

He stated that the third defendant had started presiding over the matter, despite taking judicial notice of the orders of the Supreme Court and Nwite, and that the matter came up for hearing before the third defendant.

Though neither the Federal High Court nor the National Judicial Council had publicly responded to the issues raised so far, it is imperative to to state that the ADC appears to have lost interest in both the judiciary, which it believe is kowtowing to the dictates of Gombe, and by extension the body language of the Federal Government.

The ADC appears to have managed to draw the sympathy of the public as a group known as the Grassroots Mobilization Network (GMN), has lent their voice to the supposed injustice leveled against the Mark-led ADC, raising concerns about the handling of the matter, and calling for transparency in the judicial process.

The group alleged that the judiciary was being used to target opposition parties.

The group expressed concern over what it described as growing public distrust in the judiciary and called on relevant authorities to ensure fairness and transparency in the handling of politically sensitive cases.

While Nigerians await the outcome of the litigation, and other resolution of other sundry issues arising from the ADC and the judiciary, the party is going ahead making last minute transparent efforts to nominate a suitable running mate to bear the presidential flag with the presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar.

Among the party’s shortlists are the first runner-up in the presidential primary, Rotimi Chibuike Amaechi, Mrs. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Akinwumi Adesina, Emeka Ihedioha, Emeka Nwajiuba and Chief Dele Momodu.

Headline

Gunmen Abduct Ex-Power Minister Adelabu’s Sister, Her Two Sons in Ibadan

Published

1 week ago

June 3, 2026

Eric

Suspected gunmen have abducted the sister of a former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The family of former minister and chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) confirmed the abduction, disclosing that Mrs. Olaide John-Paul and her 12-year-old twin sons were kidnapped by the gunmen on Wednesday, June 3, 2026.

According to a statement issued by Adelabu’s media aide, Femi Awogboro, the victims were kidnapped at about 7:30am while Mrs. John-Paul was taking her children to school.

Mrs. John-Paul, the youngest of five children of Mrs. Olufunmilayo Aduke Adegoke Adelabu, reportedly retired voluntarily from her career at First Bank Pension Custodian in 2025 before relocating to Ibadan with her children.

She was said to be making arrangements to join her husband, who had earlier relocated to the US.

The family expressed deep concern over the development but stated that security agencies had already commenced efforts to rescue the victims and apprehend those responsible.

“We are pleased to confirm that security operatives have swung into action and preliminary investigations have commenced in earnest,” the statement partly read.

While appealing for calm, the family urged members of the public to refrain from spreading unverified information that could undermine ongoing rescue operations.

“We are deeply distressed by this unfortunate incident, but remain hopeful that the victims will be rescued safely. We appeal to the public to remain calm, avoid speculation and support ongoing efforts with prayers,” the statement added.

The family also called on anyone with useful information that could aid the rescue operation to promptly share such intelligence with security agencies through the appropriate channels.

It assured that it would continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement authorities and provide updates as investigations and rescue efforts progress.