Zamfara Assembly Bye-election declared inconclusive over polling unit irregularities

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the Kaura-Namoda South Constituency bye-election for Zamfara State House of Assembly inconclusive due to electoral irregularities in five polling units.

The announcement was made by the Returning Officer, Professor Lawal Sa’adu of Federal University Gusau, in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Professor Sa’adu explained that the margin of 1,662 votes between the leading All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, who polled 7,001 votes, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate with 5,339 votes, was smaller than the number of affected voters in the disputed polling units.

The irregularities occurred in Sakajiki Ward (two polling units with 1,298 collected PVCs) and Kyambarawa Ward (three polling units with 1,964 collected PVCs), totalling 3,265 potentially disenfranchised voters.

Citing Sections 24 (2&3), 47 (3), and 51 (2) of the Electoral Act 2022, the returning officer stated INEC had no option but to declare the election inconclusive. The commission emphasised that the total number of affected voters could potentially alter the election outcome.

INEC has promised to announce a new date for the rerun election in the affected polling units. This development marks another chapter in Nigeria’s electoral process, highlighting the ongoing challenges of ensuring free and fair elections. Political observers are now awaiting INEC’s next steps as the commission works to resolve the electoral impasse in Zamfara State.

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cc:  Vanguard Nigeria