Judging by the results of the governorship election held on Saturday, March 18, declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (lNEC), it is apparent the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) party is maintaining a clear lead in many of the states where the election held.
So far, the declared results show the re-election of the APC governors in Lagos, Ogun, Kwara and Kongi states, while the party also won in Yobe, Jigawa, Gombe, Katsina, Ebonyi and Adamawa states.
The ruling party also reclaimed Sokoto State from its opposition, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
The story was different in Oyo, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi and Plateau states where governorship candidates of the opposition PDP overwhelmingly defeated their closest APC rivals.
History was, however, made in Adamawa State where the PDP incumbent, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, was beaten in the election by a female rival and Senator for Adamawa Central, Aishatu Dahiru Ahmed of the APC. She has emerged as the first Nigeria’s female governor-elect.
The APC surprisingly lost its political dominance in Kano State to an unpredicted rival of the NNPP, Abba Kabir Yusuf, who polled 1,019,602 votes as against 890,705 votes received by Nasiru Yusuf Gawma of the APC.
The governorship election results of a few states collated and declared by INEC are:
Lagos
APC 762,134
LP 312, 329
Oyo
PDP 563,756
APC 256, 685
Ogun
APC 376, 298
PDP 262, 383
Kwara
APC 273, 424
PDP 155, 490
Kano State
NNPP 1,019,602
APC 809, 705
Sokoto State
APC 453, 661
PDP 404, 632
Katsina State
APC 859, 892
PDP 486,620
Gombe State
APC 342, 821
PDP 233, 131
Jigawa State
APC 618, 449
PDP 368, 726
Yobe State
APC 317, 113
PDP 104, 259
Akwa Ibom State
PDP 354, 348
APC 129, 602