INEC Declares Zamfara Assembly Bye-Election Inconclusive

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the Kaura-Namoda South Constituency bye-election in Zamfara State as inconclusive.

The announcement was made by the Returning Officer, Professor Lawal Sa’adu from the Federal University, Gusau.

He explained that the gap between the candidate in the lead and the runner-up was smaller than the number of voters with Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in polling units where the election had been cancelled.

According to him, voting was cancelled in two wards, including Sakajiki and Kyambarawa.

In Sakajiki (code 06), two polling units with 1,357 registered voters and 1,298 collected PVCs were affected, while in Kyambarawa (code 05), three polling units were cancelled, covering 4,088 registered voters with 1,964 PVCs collected.

Altogether, 5,446 voters were registered across the two wards, with 3,265 PVCs collected.

Before the cancellation was considered, the All Progressives Congress (APC) had polled 7,001 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had followed with 5,339 votes, a difference of 1,662 votes.

However, that margin was smaller than the 3,265 PVCs in the affected areas, which meant the outcome could still change if those voters took part in a rerun.

Citing provisions of the Electoral Act 2022 — Sections 24 (2 & 3), 47 (3), and 51 (2) — Professor Sa’adu declared the poll inconclusive.

INEC confirmed that a new date for rerun voting in the affected polling units will be announced later.

KanyiDaily recalls that Ogun State Police Command recently confirmed the arrest of two INEC officials with N2 million over alleged electoral offences in Iperu Remo during Saturday’s federal constituency by-election.