The Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party Atiku Abubakar has defeated his All Progressive Congress (APC) counterpart, Bola Tinubu, in President Muhammadu Buhari’s home state, Katsina, in Saturday’s presidential election.
Abubakar was declared the winner after securing a total of 489,045 votes to beat his closest rival, Tinubu, who polled 482,283 votes.
The candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Rabiu Kwankwaso, came third with 69,386, while the Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi, came fourth with 6,376 votes.
Mr Abubakar was declared winner of the poll by the Returning Officer of the state, Professor Mua’zu Abubakar Gusau, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Gusau, at the INEC Presidential Election Collation Centre in Katsina.
Atiku won the state despite losing in 21 out of 34 LGAs
The PDP candidate won 13 out of the state’s 34 Local Government Areas (LGAs) with APC’s Tinubu winning 21 LGAs. Despite winning fewer LGAs, Mr Abubakar was able to secure victory in the state which had voted by a landslide in support of President Buhari in 2015 and 2019 and which also has an APC Governor.
To pull off a victory in the state, Mr Abubakar won Batsari, Mashi, Kurfi, Batagarawa, Dutsinma, Kusada, Mani, Kankia, Kankara, Bakori, Jibia, Katsina and Safana LGAs and secured significant votes in the other LGAs.
APGA – 1,391, NNPP – 69,386, Labour Party – 6,376, PRP – 1,986, SDP – 339, YPP – 1,029 and ZLP – and 371 votes, respectively.
The total number of registered voters in the state was 3,516,719 but only about a third of that number, 1,097,663 were accredited to vote.
According to the INEC Returning Officer in the state, elections were cancelled in certain polling units in Baure, Danmusa, Dutsinma, Funtua, Kafur, Kankara, Katsina, Kurfi, Kusada, Mai’adua, Malumfashi, Mashi, Sabuwa and Safana LGAs.
The cancellations were due to thuggery, insecurity, resistance, violence or over voting and obstruction.
