5th February, 2012
Murtala Nyako, retired admiral, has been re-elected governor of Adamawa State, in the election held yesterday, amidst a possible legal challenge that it violated the Nigerian constitution and the electoral act 2010.
An opposition candidate has also indicated that he would pursue a legal challenge over alterations of the result sheet.
Nyako was first elected governor in 2007, but the courts annulled the poll after he had spent some years. When he was re-elected in a re-run, his term ought to have ended in May 2011, but he remained in the saddle until 10 days ago, when the Supreme Court tenure illegal.
Lawyers have indicated a plan to challengE the poll as INEC did not give the mandatory 90 day notice
Yesterday’s poll saw Nyako coasting home to victory, winning 302, 953 votes to beat his Action Congress of Nigeria challenger, Markus Gundiri, who polled 241, 023 votes.
The candidate of the Congress for Progressive Change, Buba Marwa, touted a stronger challenger, was only able to win 107, 564 votes.
Nyako won 14 of the 21 local governments while the ACN candidate prevailed in eight.
By winning the majority of votes and 25 per cent of votes in two-thirds of the local government areas in the state, Nyako has fulfilled the constitutional requirements to be pronounced winner, according to the returning officer, Prof. Mohammed Hamisu Mohammed.
Mohammed, who is the Vice Chancellor of Abubabar Tafewa Balewa University, Bauchi, said Nyako won 44.22 per cent of the total votes cast, scoring above the mandatory 25 per cent in 21 local government areas.
The ACN scored 35.1 per cent; 25 per cent in seven local governments.
Marwa scored 15 per cent of the votes; 25 per cent in three local governments.
The ACN Returning Officer rejected the results, saying the election was characterized with irregularities.
Marwa, a former military administrator of Lagos State and presidential aspirant, was not able to win a single local government. He was roundly defeated in his home local government of Michika.
The ACN returning officer , Mr. Sonny, alleged there were alterations in some result sheets and hinted that his party might challenge the result in court.
The President, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has congratulated the Governor-elect of Adamawa State, Alhaji Murtala Nyako, on his victory in the state’s gubernatorial election.
The President also congratulated the Peoples Democratic Party, the platform on which Nyako stood for the election.
The PDP also produced Jonathan.
In a statement on Sunday by his spokesman, Dr. Reuben Abati, Jonathan said: “President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan heartily congratulates Admiral Murtala Nyako (rtd.) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on his victory in Saturday’s governorship election in Adamawa state.
“President Jonathan urges Admiral Nyako to receive the fresh mandate given to him by the people of Adamawa State for a second term in office as a call to further duty in the service of his people and an immense opportunity to carry forward the policies, projects and programmes initiated during his first term to promote progress and development in Adamawa State.
“The President looks forward to continuing to work harmoniously with Admiral Nyako and the government of Adamawa State on the implementation of the federal government’s agenda for national transformation.
“He commends PDP National Executive Council members, members of the state executive of the party and all stakeholders of the party in Adamawa for working very hard to ensure that Admiral Nyako won convincingly on Saturday.
“President Jonathan also congratulates the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the nation’s security agencies for the peaceful and successful conduct of the elections.
“He urges them to keep up the good work in other governorship elections scheduled to hold in Bayelsa State, Cross River State and Sokoto State this month.