APC wins third national assembly seat in 24 hours

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has won the bye-election in Bauchi south senatorial district, securing its third national assembly seat in 24 hours.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had earlier declared the ruling party winner in Katsina north senatorial district and Lokoja/Kogi federal constituency.

The bye-elections followed the demise of the federal lawmakers in those areas.

Lawal Gumau, candidate of the APC in the election, defeated Ladahan Salihu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Gumau, a member of the house of representatives, polled 119,489 votes to beat Salihu who got 50,256 votes.

Former governor Isa Yuguda who contested on the platform of the Green Party of Nigeria came third with 33,079 votes.

The APC candidate won in six of the seven local councils that make up the district, with Salihu winning in Bogoro local government, the home base of Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the house of representatives.

In Bogoro, Salihu, a former broadcaster, got 6,646 votes as against the 3,992 votes scored by the APC candidate.

Massive over voting was recorded in Bogoro and Bauchi councils, leading to the cancellation of over 25,000 votes. In Bogoro, 10,217 votes were cancelled and 15, 017 in Bauchi.

There were also cases of ballot box snatching in 13 units in Toro. In Alkaleri local council, 16,298 votes were cancelled in eight wards and 40 polling units over fracas, over voting, and non-usage of card readers.

Apart from the winner, Gumau, Salihu and Yuguda, there were six other candidates in the election.

They were Haruna Ayuba (African Democratic Congress ), Aminu Tukur (Action Peoples party), Usman Hassan (Kowa Party), the only woman in the race Maryam Bargel (Social Democratic Party), Husseini Umar (New Nigeria Peoples Party) and Usman Chaledi (People for Democratic Change).

Ali Wakili who represented the district died in March.