PDP rejects results as Buhari maintains lead

PDP rejects results as Buhari maintains lead

By Abbas Jimoh, Muideen Olaniyi & Saawua Terzungwe

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) yesterday rejected the results of last Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections being announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

This is even as results so far announced from 11 states and the FCT put President Muhammadu Buhari slightly ahead of PDP’s Atiku Abubakar. INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, adjourned this morning, adding that proceedings would continue today by 10am, beginning with Plateau State.

The PDP National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus, who addressed a press conference yesterday in Abuja, described the figures being announced by INEC as “incorrect and totally unacceptable”.

This was after the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had announced results from Osun, Kwara, Nasarawa, Ekiti states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Secondus said the PDP was in possession of results from all polling units across the country, adding that “INEC must live up to expectations.”

He said the elections were manipulated in Nasarawa State to favour President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC), adding that PDP supporters were disenfranchised through the “cancellation and manipulation of figures.”

Secondus said, “With the INEC IT server hacked by agents of the APC to manipulate results, we can with certainty state that results from the following polling units have, for example, been tampered with:

“Sarkin Dawaki ward in Doma LGA,  Nasarawa state; Doka ward in Doma LGA, Nasarawa state; Agyaragin – Tofa ward 10, 000 illegal votes added to already announced results in Wurno LGA in Sokoto state.”

He said the APC and the president dispatched high-ranking officials to coercively influence outcomes in different geopolitical zones in the country as results trickled in on the Sunday, February 24th, 2019, clearly putting the PDP in the lead. (Full statement on page 16)

Results are valid – INEC

INEC said that there is no basis for the PDP to reject the results of the presidential and National Assembly elections as results are being formally submitted at the National collation centre located at the International Conference Centre (ICC), Abuja.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of INEC, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, told Daily Trust last night that the commission is doing the right thing and would not want to join issues with anyone or party.

“The results being announced are not full of errors, they are valid. We have not concluded the release of the results. We have just released 10 and we still have results of other states to declare.

“So we will continue with what we are doing successfully and as expected of us, what we are doing is the right thing to be done,” Oyekanmi said.

PDP working to truncate process – APC

The All Progressives Congress (APC) said the PDP is doing its best to truncate the ongoing electoral process by rejecting the presidential results before the official announcement by the INEC.

APC National Publicity Secretary, Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, who was contacted on phone yesterday, said the position taken by the PDP was not a surprise to the ruling party going by its earlier pronouncement that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar should be declared winner before the start of the results collation exercise.

Issa-Onilu said, “We know they (the PDP) will reject it no matter what the result is. We are not bothered about that. We will like to take them up after the official release of the results if what they say is worthy of any response.

“So, what we are waiting for is for INEC to announce the results and we go to the Next Level. These are people saying that Atiku should be announced even before the collation of the results started. So, how can you take such people serious?

“APC is not reacting now. Campaign has stopped. Election has been held. The next thing is to wait for the results. They are doing their best to truncate the process. But they will not succeed.”

The APC Presidential Campaign Council also advised the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to put a call to President Muhammadu Buhari instead of what it called its illogical rejection of the election results.

The PCC Director, Strategic Communications (Official Spokesperson), Festus Keyamo, in a statement yesterday, also advised the PDP not to sacrifice the country for personal ambition.

Keyamo, who said it was obvious that the top hierarchy of the PDP was hysterical and nervous, urged them to calm down because it was the first time the former ruling party was sensing a massive loss of an election as opposition party.

While urging INEC, Nigerians and international friends not to be swayed by ‘infantile antics’ of the PDP, he said the process of collation and announcement that was on-going should be done to its logical conclusion after which anyone who is aggrieved should take full advantage of the provisions of the law.

Presidential election results announced so far

Ekiti: Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was yesterday declared the winner of the presidential election in Ekiti and Osun states.

This was announced at the National collation centre Abuja.

The returning officer for Ekiti, who is also the vice chancellor of the Ekiti State University, Idowo Olayinka, said Buhair’s APC polled 219,231 to defeat the candidate of the PDP who polled 154,32 in the state where 395,741 voters were accredited.

Osun: Buhari

The returning officer, who is also the vice chancellor of the University of Lagos, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, announced the APC and their candidate President Muhammadu Buhari as the winner of the election in Osun State.

Ogundipe said the APC polled 347,634 to defeat PDP with 337,377 in a neck-and-neck contest. Out of the 1,674,729 registered voters in the state, only 732,984 voters were accredited.

Nasarawa: Buhari

The APC won the presidential elections in Nasarawa State, according to the returning officer and Academic Provost, Nigeria Defence Academy (NDA), Prof. Azubuike Sunny Nwakwo.

He said the APC won with 289, 903 votes to defeat the PDP which had 283, 847 votes. He said 613,720 voters were accredited out of the 1,509,481 total registered voters.

FCT: Atiku

PDP’s candidate Atiku Abubakar won the presidential election in the FCT. The returning officer and Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, Prof. Mohammed Sanusi Suleiman, said the PDP polled 259,997 to defeat other parties including the All Progressives Congress (APC) which came second with 152,224.

The registered voters are 1,335,015, while 451,408 were accredited.

Gombe: Buhari

Buhari won the presidential election in Gombe State with 402,961. Atiku of the PDP came second with 138,484.

The returning officer and Vice Chancellor of the Modibbo Adama University, Yola said the state has 1,385,191 registered voters out of which 604240 were accredited.

Kogi: Buhari

President Buhari won the presidential election in Kogi State with 285,894. The PDP recorded 218,207 votes to come second.

The returning officer and Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Prof. Michael Unable Adikwu listed the state’s total registered voters as 1,640,449, and accredited voters as 570,773

Abia: Atiku

The presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, won the election in Abia State with 219,698 against APC’s 85,068 votes.

The returning officer, Prof. Chinedum Nwajiuba, who is also the Vice Chancellor of the Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ebonyi State, said the total registered voters in the state are 1,793,861, out of which 361,561 were accredited.

Yobe: Buhari

The APC recorded a landslide victory in Yobe State as Buhari polled 497,914 votes to defeat Atiku Abubakar of the PDP who had 50,763 votes.

The returning officer and Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Wukari, Taraba State, Prof. Abubakar Musa put the number of accredited voters at 601,059, out of 1,365,913 registered voters.

Ondo: Atiku

PDP won Ondo State with 275,901 to defeat APC, which garnered 241,769 votes.

The returning officer and Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti, Prof. Kayode Shoremekun, put total registered voters in the state at 1,812,567; and accredited voters at 598,586.

Kwara: Buhari

APC’s Buhari won in Kwara State with 308,984 votes, leaving the PDP’s Atiku with 138,184 votes.

The returning officer and Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology (FUTMinna), Prof. Abdullahi Bala, put the total number of registered voters at 1,401 895 and accredited voters at  489,482.

Enugu: Atiku

In Enugu State, PDP’s Atiku polled 355,553 to defeat APC’s Muhammadu Buhari who had 54,423.

The returning officer, Prof. Joseph Eberendu Ohanegwu, who is also the Vice Chancellor of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Anambra State, put the number of total registered voters at 1,935,168 and accredited voters at 452,765.

Ebonyi: Atiku

PDP’s Atiku scored 258,573 votes to defeat APC’s Buhari who had 90,726 votes in Ebonyi State.

The returning officer and Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology Owerri, Imo State, Prof. Francis Chukwuemeka Eze, put the number of total registered voters at 1,392,931, and accredited voters at 391,747.

SEE ALSO: NIGERIA PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION RESULTS 2019: LIVE STATE COLLATION