Analysis: How Buhari, Atiku Stand Over Lagos, Kano, Kwara, Others As Results Trickle In

Presidential candidates of the two leading political parties In the February elections In Nigeria were apprehensive as results of the Presidential and National Assembly elections began trickling in from across the nation.

Leaders of the party APC were particularly upbeat at the strong showing of President Muhammadu Buhari and the party’s national assembly candidates in Lagos, Akwa Ibom, Kwara, Ekiti, Kano, Borno and Adamawa among others.

But the party warned its supporters to be vigilant, saying the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had hatched a plan to unleash violence during collation of results of the elections.

The PDP said it was the APC that masterminded the killings in some states.

Early returns from the Southeast and much of Southsouth looked good for the PDP and its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

Buhari and Atiku said, moment after casting their votes yesterday, that they were optimistic of winning.
Buhari, asked by reporters in his home town, Daura, whether he would congratulate the winner in the event that he (President) lost, he said: “I’m going to congratulate myself, because am going to win.”

Responding to a question on his expectation in Yola, Atiku said: “I look forward to a successful transition.”

But it was Buhari who appeared to be coasting home to victory last night on account of yet to be confirmed results.
Some of the key backers of Atiku who were expected to deliver votes for him failed in show of their electoral worth.

They include former President Olusegun Obasanjo who could only muster 18 votes for Atiku in his Abeokuta polling unit against the 87 for Buhari.

Buhari himself floored Atiku at the former vice president’s polling unit in Yola with 186 votes to 157.
Former Ogun State Governor, Chief Olusegun Osoba delivered 147 votes for Buhari at his Abeokuta polling Unit while Atiku received 81.

Another former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel who is the Deputy Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council, Southwest, delivered 137 votes for Atiku while Buhari got 88 votes.

The governorship candidate of the party in the State and Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial district, Senator Buruji Kashamu also delivered his Sopen unit 26 in Ijebu Igbo to the PDP Presidential candidate.

While Atiku polled 138 votes, Buhari polled 110 votes

As we projected in our assessment of the chances of the two candidates a few weeks back, Buhari is doing very well in Akwa Ibom State where the former Governor, Senator Godswill Akpabio delivered 1,553 votes for him in his Ukana West 2, unit 9, Essien Udim Local Government Area. Atiku got only 11 votes there.

Buhari also defeated Atiku 84 -80 votes in the Apapa, Lagos polling unit of the PDP governorship candidate in Lagos State, Mr. Jimi Agbaje while it was the other way round in the Ikoyi polling unit of the APC governorship candidate, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu.

Atiku attracted 52 votes in the unit while Buhari got 48.

Atiku got 219 votes as against Buhari’s 68 at the Agbaji polling unit, Ilorin of Senate President Bukola Saraki.
In another unit at Agbaji, Ilorin, Saraki’s younger sister, Gbemi got 275 votes for Buhari while Atiku received 71.

It was also Buhari all the way in most of the units in Ekiti, Kano, Borno, Adamawa States.

But it seemed to be a close race in Edo State although APC national chairman, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole made it 770 0 in favour of Buhari while Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu gave it all to Buhari in his Mpu units in Enugu State.

Atiku also got 84 votes, nine more than Buhari at one of the polling units at Aso Rock Villa, and 207 votes at the Kaduna polling unit of former Vice President Namadi Sambo.

Buhari got only 34 votes there but made up for it at Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe State’s polling unit with 453 votes to Atiku’s 80.
Other results that came in last night are as follows:
Owan West Unit six Ward one (Edo State)
APC — 124
PDP — 90
Kabiyesi: Ona-Ara unit (Essa B ward) (Kwara)
APC – 290
PDP – 64
Kabiyesi: PU Ilesha Primary School, Ilesha Baruba (Kwara)
PDP=39, APC=190
Idi Agba Polling unit 004 Ilorin (Kwara)
APC 397
PDP 57.
0de imam 005 (Kwara)
APC=195
PDP=231
Ward 06 (Orokere), Unit 001 (Kogi)
APC 90
PDP 100
Ward 06, Unit 002 (Orokere, Kogi).
APC 54 PDP 112
Ward 04 (Ileteju Mopa), Unit 004 (Kogi)
APC 43
PDP 138
Yagba Ward 04, Unit 003 (Kogi)
APC 46
PDP 131
Yagba House of Representative:
APC=30, PDP=76, ADC=69.
Local Education Authority (LEA) Primary School, Kubwa, Abuja, unit 006
PDP: 953
APC: 182

APC to supporters: Be vigilant
The All Progressives Congress Campaign Council last night issued a security alert that about an alleged plot by the PDP to unleash violence during the collation of the results of the elections.

Spokesman for the campaign council, Mr. Festus Keyamo said:

“It has come to our knowledge from insiders within the PDP Campaign Council who are making last-minute efforts to switch allegiance to President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress that the PDP is currently recruiting armed thugs and miscreants nationwide to attack ward and local government collation centres this evening till the wee hours of tomorrow morning.

“The purpose is to disrupt the collation process of the elections nationwide in order to cause crises and make this election inconclusive. As we know, most of these collation centres are usually in schools or other places that are poorly protected.

“This is, therefore, a clarion call to all law enforcement agencies to mobilise extra armed security to protect all collation centres nationwide. We also appeal to Nigerians of goodwill and our supporters to provide standby electricity this night at these collation centres.

“We also call on all our party agents, supporters and patriotic Nigerians to stick with these election results from the various units up to the State Collation Centres. There is no cause for any political party at this stage to jubilate or be dejected. Nothing has been won and nothing has been lost. Official results have not been declared. Hence we call for eternal vigilance on the part of our agents and supporters.

“We repeat: NOBODY SHOULD JUBILATE NOW AND ABANDON HIS/HER DUTIES. LET US KEEP OUR FEET FIRMLY ON THE GROUND AND STICK WITH OUR ASSIGNED ROLE(S) UNTIL FINAL RESULTS ARE DECLARED BY INEC.”

APC killing Nigerians, burning ballot boxes, PDP alleges
The PDP in its reaction to the conduct of the elections accused the APC of killing innocent Nigerians, and snatching and burning ballot boxes during the polls.

The PDP, in a statement by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan, said the unleashing of violence was the major part of the script by the APC to intimidate Nigerians and disrupt the election, in a bid to enforce President Buhari’s self-succession plot.

His words: “President Buhari and the APC leadership must know that they are directly responsible for the killings in Rivers state, the violent snatching of ballot box and burning of electoral materials in Lagos and various other states where compromised security agents were used to directly interfere in the electoral process. “In Lagos State, the world watched in amazement as security agents aided APC thugs to invade polling centres, disrupt electoral process, manhandle voters, destroy and burnt electoral materials, including ballot papers and boxes.

“In Rivers State, voters were shot and killed by agents of the APC in their desperation to manipulate the elections.

“Our party is compiling a list of all infractions and the killings as well as securing the identities of all individuals who played roles in these the atrocities.

“The PDP deeply salutes the resilience, courage and sacrifices by Nigerians, across the board, in resisting the Buhari’s anti-democratic forces and insisting that their votes must count, against all odds.

“Nigerians, across the country are exceptionally upbeat in their resolution to vote out this incompetent, divisive, vengeful, violent prone and corrupt APC administration, despite the machinations of the Buhari Presidency.

“This election has shown President Buhari and in particular, certain individuals in Lagos state, who thought that they were emperors, that the will of the people is bigger than them. The APC turned the election into a war but Nigerians have shown that nobody can suppress their resilient spirit .

“The PDP therefore calls on INEC to ensure that all votes count as Nigerians are following all the figures from the polling units. Having come thus far and after making huge sacrifices, Nigerians will never accept any result that does not reflect the reality of their already expressed wishes and aspiration at the polls.”.

House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara won his polling unit at Gwarangah in Bogoro, Dass, Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi State for Atiku with 285 votes as against 15 for Buhar.
Source: The Nation