The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday, declared the Yobe South Senatorial District election inconclusive.
Prof. Shettima Saidu, the Returning Officer of the state and the Vice Chancellor, Federal University Gashua, Yobe, made the declaration in Potiskum, saying the leading candidates, Ibrahim Bomoi of the All Progressives Congress and Halilu Mazagane of the Peoples Democratic Party, scored 69,417 and 68,800 respectively.
However, Saidu said the lead margin of 617 votes between the candidates was less than the total votes cancelled in the election.
The returning officer said the cancellation was done at Manawaci 003 Polling Unit in Fika Local Government following incidents of over-voting and other irregularities, adding that the rerun is mandatory as the total number of valid votes exceeded the total number of accredited voters in the unit which had 1,118 registered voters.
He said a fresh election would subsequently be conducted at the district, but only between Bomoi and Mazagane.
He said: “I want us to get it straight that the difference between the first and second positions is 617 votes. However, we had a total of 1,118 votes cancelled in the process of the election.
“If the difference was higher than the votes cancelled, then we would have declared the winner.
“But, by virtue of Section 4(2)(7) of INEC Manual, where cancelled votes are higher than the lead margin, we can’t declare a winner,” he explained.
NAN