By Obinna Uballa
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained why it declared the Kaura Namoda South State Constituency by-election in Zamfara State inconclusive.
Announcing the decision on Sunday, the Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Lawal Sa’adu of the Federal University, Gusau, said the outcome was invalidated due to cancellations in polling units across Sakajiki and Kambarawa wards.
He disclosed that the affected polling units had a total of 5,446 registered voters, with 3,265 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) collected. The All Progressives Congress (APC) had polled 7,001 votes against the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) 5,339 votes, leaving a margin of 1,662.
Sa’adu explained that since the margin of lead was less than the number of collected PVCs in the cancelled polling units, the election could not be concluded in line with the Electoral Act 2022.
Citing Sections 24 (2 & 3), 47 (3), and 51 (2) of the Act as well as INEC’s Manual for Election Officials, he said the law requires that where such a scenario occurs, the Returning Officer must decline to declare a winner until supplementary polls are held.
According to him, two registration areas were affected by the cancellations: Sakajiki Ward, with two polling units, 1,357 registered voters and 1,298 PVCs collected; and Kambarawa Ward, with three polling units, 4,088 registered voters and 1,964 PVCs collected.
He confirmed that INEC would announce a new date for the rerun election in the five affected polling units across the two wards.
