Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the Kaura Namoda South constituency by-election in Zamfara State inconclusive.
Gatekeepers News reports that according to NAN, the returning officer, Lawal Sa’adu, explained that the decision was due to the cancellation of results from polling units in Sakajiki and Kambarawa wards.
The affected units have 5,446 registered voters, with 3,265 permanent voter cards (PVCs) collected. In the declared results, All Progressives Congress (APC) secured 7,001 votes, while Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 5,339 votes, leaving a margin of 1,662.
Since the margin of lead is smaller than the number of PVCs collected in the cancelled polling units, Sa’adu said the election could not be concluded. He cited Sections 24(2 & 3), 47(3), and 51(2) of the Electoral Act 2022 as the legal basis for the declaration.
He added that under the Electoral Act and election guidelines, where the margin of lead is less than the PVCs collected in affected units, supplementary elections must be conducted before a winner is declared.
Sakajiki ward has two affected polling units with 1,357 registered voters and 1,298 PVCs collected, while Kambarawa ward has three affected units with 4,088 registered voters and 1,964 PVCs collected.
Sa’adu noted that INEC will fix a new date for supplementary polls in the five affected polling units before the election can be concluded.
