The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged victorious in the off-cycle gubernatorial elections held in three states in Nigeria on Saturday, November 11, 2023. The elections were marred by allegations of irregularities, violence and legal disputes.

In Imo State, incumbent Governor Hope Uzodimma of the APC secured a second term in office with a landslide victory over his rivals. He polled 540,308 votes, while his closest challenger, Senator Samuel Anyanwu of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), scored 71,503 votes. Senator Athan Achonu of the Labour Party (LP) came third with 64,081 votes.

Uzodimma’s re-election was greeted with protests by the PDP and LP candidates, who called for the cancellation of the result. They accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies of conniving with the APC to rig the election. They also alleged that voting in many places was done without biometric verification, and that their agents were assaulted and barred from the collation centres.

In Kogi State, the APC candidate, Alhaji Usman Ododo, also won a second term with a wide margin. He garnered 446,237 votes, while his main opponent, Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), got 239,052 votes. The PDP candidate, Senator Dino Melaye, failed to win any local government area and scored 46,237 votes. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Leke Abejide, won one local government area.

Ododo’s victory was also disputed by the SDP and PDP candidates, who alleged that the election was fraught with irregularities, such as vote-buying, intimidation and ballot box snatching. They also claimed that some of their supporters were killed or injured by thugs and security operatives.

In Bayelsa State, Governor Douye Diri of the PDP was re-elected for a second term after winning five of the eight local government areas in the state. He polled 137,909 votes, while his main challenger, Chief Timipre Sylva of the APC, won one local government area and scored 73,503 votes. The results for two local government areas were yet to be announced by INEC as of press time.

Diri’s re-election was also met with resistance by the APC, which staged a protest at the INEC office over the results from Nembe local government area, where Sylva hails from. The APC alleged that the results were fabricated, and that no election took place in the area. The PDP, however, insisted that the results were authentic, and that the APC was trying to subvert the will of the people.

The off-cycle elections in Nigeria are a result of court rulings that overturned the outcomes of previous elections in some states. The elections are seen as a test of the popularity and performance of the APC and the PDP, the two dominant parties in the country. The elections are also a precursor to the 2025 general elections, where the APC will seek to retain power at the federal level, while the PDP will attempt to reclaim it.

The elections have been widely criticized by local and international observers, civil society groups and the media for being marred by violence, fraud and malpractice. They have also called for electoral reforms and the prosecution of those who perpetrated electoral offenses. Despite the challenges, some Nigerians have expressed hope that the elections will pave the way for a more peaceful and credible democratic process in the future.

Source: Vanguard