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Dakingari wins Kebbi governorship re-run election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced former governor of Kebbi state, Saidu Dakingari as the winner in the governorship re-run election held yesterday. … Continue reading Dakingari wins Kebbi governorship re-run election


Kebbi state Governor, Saidu Dakingari

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced former governor of Kebbi state, Saidu Dakingari as the winner in the governorship re-run election held yesterday.

According to the Chief Returning Officer for the election, Professor Lawal Bilbis, Mr. Dakingari of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) polled 875,492 votes to defeat Mr. Abubakar Abubakar of the Congress or Progressive Change (CPC) who polled 17,918 votes.

The candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Kabir Tanimu, garnered 4,656 votes to emerge third, while Suleiman Argungu of the All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) came fourth with 2,528 votes.

The election which took place in the 21 local government areas of the state was characterised by poor turnout.  The exercise was boycotted by the ANPP whose candidate, Mr. Argungu, alleged that INEC was biased in all its processes ahead of the election.

It will be recalled that the Supreme Court (SC) sacked the Kebbi State Governor, Usman Saidu Nasamu Dakingari, of the People’s Democratic Party. The apex court ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct a fresh election in the state within 90 days.

A panel of five SC justices led by Justice Walter Onnoghen gave the order while delivering judgement in an appeal brought by the Congress for Progressive Change and its candidate in the April 2011 governorship election in Kebbi State, Alhaji Abubakar Gari-Malam.

The CPC appeal centred on the verdict of the Court of Appeal, sitting in Sokoto, which overturned the nullification of Dakingari’s election, and the attendant order for a fresh poll in the state by the Kebbi State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.

The CPC had approached the SC to appeal the Court of Appeal verdict on the grounds that the appellate court failed to give the reasons for its decision within the 60 days allowed by the constitution.

However, the SC  agreed with the appellants that the appellate court erred in law when it failed to give the reason for its judgement within the constitutionally stipulated 60 days.