The Speaker, House of Representatives Aminu Tambuwal, a former Speaker of the House Aminu Masari; and ex-Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nasir el-Rufai, on Sunday emerged victorious in Saturday’s governorship elections in their states.Also, Gombe State Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo was re-elected for a second term, while Mohammed Abubakar won Bauchi State governorship poll.
Tambuwal, who contested the Sokoto governorship election under the umbrella of the All Progressives Congress, polled 647,609 votes to emerge victorious, while Senator Abdallah Wali, who represented the PDP, scored 269,074.
In the result declared by the Returning Officer, Prof. Abdullahi Bagudu, Tambuwal won in all 23 local governments.
Masari, who contested the Katsina governorship election under the banner of the APC, polled 943,085 votes to defeat the PDP’s candidate, Alhaji Musa Nashuni, who scored 476,768 votes.
The Returning Officer, Prof. Lawal Bilbis, told the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday that the Peoples Democratic Movement’s candidate, Yakubu Lado, got 50,361 votes, while Alhaji Umar Abdullahi of the All Progressive Grand Alliance secured 42,302 votes.
“Having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest the number of votes, Aminu Bello Masari of APC is declared the winner and returned elected,” NAN quoted Bilbis as saying.
In Kaduna, APC’s candidate el-Rufai defeated Governor Mukhtar Yero of the PDP and 13 other candidates to sweep the poll.
The Returning Officer for the state, Prof. Jafar Kaura, said the ex-minister polled 1, 117, 635 votes to defeat his closest rival Yero, who secured 485, 833 votes.
Kura said a total of 1, 710, 935 people were accredited for the election in which 1, 660, 109 voted.
According to him, 27, 116 votes were rejected while 65, 386 votes from 112 pulling units in 16 local government areas were cancelled due to various electoral offences.
Yero conceded defeat and congratulated el-Rufai on his victory.
The Media Officer of the state APC Campaign Council, Mr. Samuel Aruwan, said el-Rufai commended the governor for his magnanimity in defeat.
Dankwambo emerged as the winner of the Gombe governorship election after he polled 285,369 votes to defeat his closest opponent Inuwa Yahaya of the APC, who got 205,132 votes.
The Returning Officer, Prof Saminu Ibrahim, Vice-Chancellor, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, declared Dankwambo the winner having scored the highest number of votes.
APC’s Abubakar beat his PDP’s rival Auwal Jatau in the Bauchi governorship poll.
The Returning Officer and Vice-Chancellor, Federal University Kashere, Gombe, Prof. Mohammed Farouk, said Abubakar won with 654, 934 votes, followed by Jatau, who got 282, 650.
He said the APC won 19 of the 20 local governments with the PDP winning one.
The results showed that APC won Alkaleri, Tafawa Balewa, Warji, Ganjuwa, Bauchi, Darazo, Gamawa, Giade, Itas Gadau and Kirfi.
Other LGAs won by the APC are Misau, Jamaare, Dambam, Katagum, Ningi, Zaki, Shira, Dass, and Toro.the PDP only won Bogoro.
Meanwhile, half way into the collation of the Adamawa State governorship election results, the PDP’s candidate Mallam Nuhu Ribadu conceded defeat.
Ribadu, in a statement by his spokesman, Mallam AbdulAziz Ahmad, said he had accepted the outcome of the election in good faith.
“I came into this race with lofty dreams and clear vision for our dear state, but the voice of the majority has not given me this chance. I take this in good faith,” NAN quoted the ex-Economic and Financial Crimes Commission boss as saying in the statement on Sunday.
“I want to take this opportunity to congratulate the winner and pray that at the end of it all our dear state will witness the needed progress and development it so much desires.”
