At last, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Sunday in Kano northern Nigeria, was declared winner of the bye-elections for Gaya and Garko state Assembly Constituencies held last on Saturday.
Pointblanknews.com reports that it took heavy deployment of security in the areas to ensure peaceful and hitch-free exercises.
About 6000 police men including thousands of sister-security agencies and para-military were deployed in the areas to ensure peace and order during the exercises.
Pointblanknews.com recalls that few days to the elections, thugs believed by be supporters of the PDP and the All Nigerian Peoples Party (ANPP) clashed at different locations within the state, leaving many wounded and property worth millions of Naira destroyed.
Last Wednesday, the ANPP claimed that the convoy of the national leader of the party and immediate past governor of the state, Malam Ibrahim Shekarau was attacked during which dozens of vehicles were destroyed and several people wounded.
INEC authorities, however, declared candidates of PDP in the two constituencies’ winners of the tension-soaked bye-election in the state.
The two seats were declared vacant by INEC, following the assassination of two lawmakers from both constituencies by gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect late last year.
The results of the elections announced by the Kano State Independent Electoral Commission Returning Officer, Dr Munir Abdullahi Kambi showed that Abba Ibrahim Garko polled 53,895 votes to defeat Ashiru Ado of the ANPP, who scored 2,168 votes, while CPC’s candidate polled 1,331 votes.
Kambi, while declaring the results in Gaya constituency, said Tafida Tijani Gaya of the PDP polled 42,696 votes to defeat Ahmed Abdullahi of the ANPP, who scored 2,379 votes while CPC’s candidate secured 970 votes.
Kambi declared Abba Ibrahim Garko of PDP the winner from Garko constituency into the State House of Assembly, while Tafida Tijani Gaya from Gaya constituency emerged as the winner and representative of Gaya constituency in the State House of Assembly.