The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in Kogi State, Captain Idris Ichalla Wada as winner of the governorship election held on Saturday while the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) candidate, Prince Abubakar Audu rejected the results, alleging manipulations.Wada scored 300,372 votes out of 484,168 valid votes cast while Audu polled 159,913 votes.The Returning Officer and Vice Chancellor of the Nasarawa State University, Professor Shamsudeen Amali, who declared the results in Lokoja, said there were 1, 325, 272 registered voters; 484,168 total valid votes; 34,781 rejected votes; and 518,949 total votes cast.He said Wada won in 18 out of the 21 local government areas of the state, while Audu won in the remaining three local government areas.Wada won in his Dekina Local Government Area and Ogori-Magongo, Mopa-Moro, Ajaokuta, Okehi, Kogi, Omala, Yagba-East, Yagba-West, Ijumu, Igalamela-Odolu, Idah, Okene, Kabba-Bunu, Bassa, Ankpa, Lokoja, Ibaji.Audu too won in his own Ofu Local Government Area, his mother's local government area, Olamaboro and in Adavi Local Government Area, the domain of the state chairman of his party, Haadi Ametuo.The result also showed that Wada cleared the three senatorial districts of the state.The candidate of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), Elder Ubolo Okpanachi came third having polled 9,642 votes, while the candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), Barrister James Ocholi scored 5,724 votes.Audu's wife and candidate of the Justice Party (JP), Mrs Aisha Audu, polled 619 votes; while Professor Yusuf Obaje of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA) polled 331 votes.The state collation officer of the ACN, Mohammed Lawal refused to sign the result, claiming irregularities.Addressing newsmen in Lokoja yesterday after he was declared winner, Wada urged his co-contestants to join hands with him in moving the state forward.He said, 'I will explore the natural resources in the state for the betterment of our people. The election was free, fair and transparent. I will run a transparent and open government.'Audu has rejected the outcome of the election, alleging manipulations. Addressing newsmen in Lokoja shortly after the announcement of the result, Audu, through his chief strategist, Dino Melaye, said he rejected it 'because it did not reflect the true wish of the people.''The results were manipulated from the wards and local government collation centres. Policemen were withdrawn from most of the polling units to perpetrate rigging. About seven polling units were cancelled in Olamaboro Local Government Area because we won there.'We would do everything legitimate to make sure that the stolen mandate is restored to the people of the state,' he said.The Nigerian Bar Association Election Working Group, in a statement yesterday by its chairman, Dafe Akpedeye, described the conduct of the election as peaceful and transparent, noting that 'the size of the polling units created problems for presiding officers and security agencies.'Also reacting in a statement by his media aide, Michael Jegede, Senator Nurudeen Abatemi-Usman (Kogi Central, PDP), congratulated Wada on his victory and thanked the people of Ebiraland for voting Wada.
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