#Nigeriadecides2023: Atiku Abubakar Defeats Tinubu In Buhari’s State, Katsina

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar has won the presidential election in Katsina, President Muhammadu Buhari’s home state.

Atiku Abubakar polled a total of 489,045 to edge out the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate Bola Tinubu who scored 482,283 votes and other candidates.

Candidate of the NNPP, Rabiu Kwankwaso, came in at third with 69,386, followed by Labour Party flagbearer Peter Obi who secured 6,376 votes.

Atiku Abubakar was declared winner of the poll by the Returning Officer of the state, Professor Mua’zu Abubakar Gusau, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Gusau, at the INEC Presidential Election Collation Centre in Katsina.

The former vice president won 13 out of the state’s 34 LGAs with APC’s Tinubu winning 21 LGAs. Despite winning fewer LGAs, Atiku Abubakar was able to secure victory in the state which had voted by a landslide in support of President Buhari in 2015 and 2019 and which also has an APC Governor.

To pull off a victory in the state, Abubakar won Batsari, Mashi, Kurfi, Batagarawa, Dutsinma, Kusada, Mani, Kankia, Kankara, Bakori, Jibia, Katsina, and Safana LGAs and secured significant votes in the other LGAs.

APGA – 1,391, NNPP – 69,386, Labour Party – 6,376, PRP – 1,986, SDP – 339, YPP – 1,029, and ZLP – and 371 votes, respectively.

The total number of registered voters in the state was 3,516,719 but only about a third of that number, 1,097,663 were accredited to vote.

According to the INEC Returning Officer in the state, elections were cancelled in certain polling units in Baure, Danmusa, Dutsinma, Funtua, Kafur, Kankara, Katsina, Kurfi, Kusada, Mai’adua, Malumfashi, Mashi, Sabuwa and Safana LGAs.

The cancellations were due to thuggery, insecurity, resistance, violence or overvoting, and obstruction.

Meanwhile, Kanyi Daily reported that the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has won Saturday’s Surulere 1 federal constituency seat election for the sixth consecutive time under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

The Speaker polled 19,717 votes to defeat his closest opponent, Bosun Jeje of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 5,121 votes.