Nyako bounces back in Adamawa governorship polls
Posted: Mon, 6th Feb 2012 by Emmanuel Udeagha
Retired Admiral Murtala Hammanyero Nyako of the PDP yesterday emerged winner of Saturday’s governorship election in Adamawa State, regaining his governorship seat which he lost to a Supreme Court ruling two weeks ago.
Nyako won with less than half of the total votes cast, as the Action Congress of Nigeria candidate Markus Gundiri came second while retired General Mohammed Buba Marwa of the Congress for Progressive Change came third.
Announcing the result in Yola yesterday, returning officer for the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Muhammad Hamisu Mohammed, said Nyako polled 302,986 votes; Gundiri scored 260,405 votes; while Marwa scored 107,564 votes.
Mohammed, who is the Vice-chancellor of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, said the ANPP candidate Alhaji Usman Ahmed polled 3,885 votes to place fourth. Ahmed had earlier announced his withdrawal from the race as a result of which he was expelled by his party.
The only female candidate in the race, Hajiya Zainab Kwonchi, secured 2,846 votes, to place fifth in the race in which only five parties fielded candidates.
Results from the 21 local government areas in the state showed that PDP won in 14, ACN won in seven, while CPC, ANPP and ADC did not lead in any local government area.
Nyako got at least 25 per cent of the vote in each of the 21 local governments, his main challenger Gundiri secured at least 25 per cent in 17 local government areas, while Marwa got this in three LGAs.
A total of 685,103 votes were cast out of the 1,843,619 registered voters in the state. The returning officer announced that 26,850 votes were rejected or declared invalid.
But the ACN swiftly rejected the results, as its returning officer Mr. Sonny Mondafe alleged alterations in some result sheets. He hinted that his party might challenge the result in court.
ACN’s publicity secretary Mr Yohanna Mathias also alleged that 14 PDP governors were dispatched to Adamawa State to rig the election for Nyako, and that voters were intimidated and harassed by the presence of those governors.
Marwa in his response rejected the results but said he would not go to court. “You know power belongs to God and He gives it to whom He wants. So there is no need to run to court at this time,” he said.
Governor-elect Nyako said the new mandate was an opportunity to continue with the policies, projects and programmes initiated during his first term.
He advised the aggrieved parties to sheath their swords in the interest of peace, unity and mutual understanding for the state to move forward.
ADC candidate Kwonchi conceded defeat and congratulated Nyako.
Speaking to Daily Trust shortly after the results were announced, Kwonchi said, “The people have decided so there is no reason to raise dust. I take the defeat in good faith, may he fulfil the campaign promises to take the state to greater height.”
PDP supporters erupted in jubilation in the state capital Yola yesterday when the results were announced. There was a report of clashes at Yolde-Pate between supporters of rival parties over the PDP victory, resulting to deployment of riot police.
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