INEC fixes April 15 for supplementary polls in Adamawa, Kebbi

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed April 15 for the conduct of supplementary governorship elections in Kebbi and Adamawa states.

INEC had declared the governorship elections of March 18 in both states as inconclusive.

In a statement issued on Monday by Festus Okoye, INEC national commissioner, and chairman, information and voter education committee, the commission said supplementary polls for national and state assembly elections will also take place on April 15.

“Supplementary Governorship elections will be held in Adamawa and Kebbi States, 5 Senatorial Districts, 31 Federal and 58 State Assembly constituencies. Owing to the competitive nature of the elections, especially for legislative seats, supplementary elections will be held in just a few polling units in some constituencies,” the statement reads.

“A comprehensive list of the polling units by State, Local Government, Registration Area, registered voters, and PVCs collected will be published on our website on or before Wednesday 29th March 2023.

“Meanwhile, the Commission has fixed Saturday 15th April 2023 for the conduct of the supplementary elections in the affected polling units nationwide.

“We appeal to all political parties, candidates, and stakeholders to note the date and locations of the supplementary elections. The earlier accreditation for polling and collation agents, observers, and the media still subsists for the supplementary elections.”

Before the election was declared inconclusive in Adamawa, Ahmadu Fintiri, the incumbent governor and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), had won 13 LGAs, while Aisha Binani, gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), had secured victory in seven.

In Kebbi, the poll was declared inconclusive because of “massive vote cancellation and overvoting” in 20 of the 21 LGAs in the state.

The returning officer said the total number of registered voters was 2,032,041 out of which the APC polled 388,258 and the PDP garnered 342,980, leaving a difference of 45,278.